


Fallen From the Future

by beatlechicksteph



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-08 05:46:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 43,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5485832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatlechicksteph/pseuds/beatlechicksteph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's another typical evening for Seventh Year Severus Snape. He's just trying to find a quiet place to hide away from his tormentors. When a mysterious girl appears in front of him, injured, he begins to question whether or not he is on the right path for his future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Severus ran up the stairs to the Astronomy tower, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was still following him. The Marauders had been tormenting him again. For the past six years they had been beating him up and teasing him, just because he was in Slytherin and was a little socially awkward. Why he thought this final year at Hogwarts would be any different, he didn’t know.

He reached the top of the stairs, out of breath. The autumn’s cool breeze swept through his long, black hair has he leaned down, placing his hands on his knees, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. You would think he would be in better shape as he spent most of his time running from Gryffindors lately. They seemed to be picking on him a lot more lately. He didn’t know what he did to deserve all of this new attention. He hadn’t changed any of his habits. It had been two years since he last had any meaningful contact with Lily Evans. But it seemed that was no longer the catalyst. It seemed just his mere existence was enough to cause them to hex him.

A dull thud on the battlement’s stone floor stirred him from his musings. He whirled around, whipping his wand out from the sleeve of his robe and pointing it in the direction the sound came from. He was taken aback for a moment when he was met with nothing but the empty battlement. Then he heard a gentle moaning. He looked down, and almost dropped his wand in shock. 

Lying on the floor was a girl, in muggle clothing. She looked like she had been living in the outdoors for months. Her hair was wild and frizzy; her clothes were covered in dirt and grime. She was currently lying on the floor and her entire body was twitching. Every time her body convulsed, she let out a moan, but from where Severus was standing, it didn’t even look as if she was conscious. But he wasn’t a good judge, because he couldn’t see her face from where he stood.

Apprehensively, Severus began slowly creeping forward to where the girl lay, keeping his wand up, just in case. He didn’t know where she came from, and the fact that she just appeared in the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts, a place where you couldn’t Apperate in or out of, was very suspicious. The closer he got to her, the more he realized that some of the dirt and grime he saw on her was not, in fact, dirt and grime. Some of it appeared to be her own blood. Her left arm appeared to be carved up. 

He knelt down next to her, and rotated her arm so he could get a better look at the injuries on her arm. He couldn’t help the gasp he emitted when he saw that the injuries on her arm were in fact letters, forming a word. Mudblood. He dropped her arm back to her side on the stone floor and backed up from the girl. He ran his hand through his hair, beginning to panic. What was he supposed to do? She was obviously a witch, a muggleborn to be specific. He needed to tell someone. Get her help as she was obviously injured. But what if they were to blame him?

It wasn’t exactly a secret that he had joined up with a lot of aspiring Death Eaters in the school, that he supposedly had prejudices against muggleborn witches, as evidence by his treatment of Lily two years ago. The girl didn’t look like she was much older than him, but he couldn’t place her face, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a student at Hogwarts. He kept raking his memory trying to place her face, trying to remember if there had been reports of muggleborn witches going missing this year. He couldn’t remember. The year was still new, it was only early October, and he hadn’t been paying that much attention to the goings on with the outside world. He had been focused on his studies and avoiding the Marauders at all costs.

He looked back at the girl. Her twitching was subsiding, but it was still there. He made a quick decision and put his wand back up the sleeve of his robe. He walked over to her, and lifted her into his arms, and clutched her close to his chest, making sure he didn’t jolt her too much. He began briskly walking down the stairs of the Tower, making his way to the hospital wing.

“Help me, please! Madame Pomfrey!” he shouted as he entered the Hospital Wing. He carried the girl over to an empty bed and set her down.

Poppy Pomfrey came running out from the storage room. “Severus, what’s wrong?”

Severus gestured toward the girl lying on the bed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she seems to be injured pretty badly.”

Madam Pomfrey rushed over to the girl and began examining her. “Where did you find her?”

“She just appeared in the Astronomy Tower,” Severus answered.

Madam Pomfrey paused in her ministrations and turned back to face him. “What do you mean she appeared?”

“Exactly what it sounds like, Madam Pomfrey. One minute I was alone in the Tower and the next there was a dull thud and she was lying on the floor, looking just like this.”

“Looking just like this? Are you certain?”

Severus nodded. “Well, she was twitching slightly but that subsided after a few minutes. But yes, she was looking just like this. I didn’t do anything to harm her. I brought her straight here.”

“Severus I wasn’t accusing you of causing any harm to her, I just need to know the specifics so I can treat her properly. But the fact that she just appeared is a bit troubling. I need to notify the headmaster immediately.” She flourished her wand, conjuring a Patronis sending it up to the headmaster’s office, before turning back to the girl, running diagnostic charms.

Severus backed up until his back was pressed against the farthest wall and watched as Madame Pomfrey began running her wand over the girl, a frown permanently on her face. 

The floo roared to life and the headmaster stepped out of the grate and walked over to the medi-witch.

“What’s the trouble, Poppy?” Dumbledore asked as he approached.

“This girl has been tortured, Albus,” Poppy spoke quietly, so Severus had to strain to hear what she was saying.

Headmaster Dumbledore walked closer to the girl and peered down at her over his half-moon glasses. “Where did she come from? She is not one of our students. Is she a muggle?”

Poppy shook her head. “Muggleborn,” she said, turning over the girl’s left arm for Dumbledore’s inspection. “If she’s not a student here, then who is she?”

“Where did you find her?”

Poppy gestured toward Severus. “Severus found her in the Astronomy Tower. He says she just ‘appeared.’”

Dumbledore spun around. “What do you mean, appeared?”

Severus took a deep breath, ready to defend himself. The headmaster would probably accuse Severus of injuring the girl. He always found a way to blame things on a Slytherin.

“Exactly how it sounds, sir,” Severus started. “I was in the Astronomy Tower, I heard a sound, and there was a girl lying on the floor.”

Dumbledore turned back to Poppy. “What kind of torture was she made to endure, other than having derogative terms carved on her arm?”

Poppy took a deep breath. “She’s been hit with the Cruciatus curse multiple times, she’s very malnourished, if I had to guess I would say it’s been months since she’s had a decent meal. She’s exhausted, so I would also guess that it’s also been months since she’s had adequate sleep. And there’s some kind of dark magic around her that I can’t trace. I don’t know what it is, but something about her doesn’t seem right, Albus. And the fact that she just appeared here in Hogwarts, makes me feel very uneasy,” she sighed. “Albus, this poor girl, who knows how long she’s been held by his followers.”

Albus nodded and leaned closer to the girl, waving his wand. “You’re right about the dark magic. I’m not entirely sure what was used on her, we’ll have to wait for her to wake up to get answers to the questions about how long she was held captive by Death Eaters and the extent of her treatment. Heal her, and make her comfortable. I’ve always said that Hogwarts would provide help to those who need it, and this dear girl needs it. Contact me the minute she wakes up.” Albus turned and walked over to Severus. “My dear boy, I don’t know why you were up in the Astronomy Tower tonight, but it’s a good thing you were, or else this poor girl may have perished. Twenty points to Slytherin for your chivalry.”

Albus moved back to the floo, but was stopped by Poppy’s sudden outcry.

“What’s wrong?” Albus said turning around swiftly.

“The carving on her arm, it won’t heal. No matter what spell I use, it keeps opening back up. Even using the dittany. It refuses to heal,” Poppy said, her voice thick with emotion.

Albus closed his eyes. “Bandage it, hopefully it will heal on its own. Let me know when she awakes.” With that Albus strode to the floo, threw in powder, said the name of his office, and was gone in a flash of green.

Severus remained where he was standing, unsure of what to do, trying to take in the information that had passed between the headmaster and the medi-witch. Words like ‘torture’ and ‘dark magic’ hung in his head, unable to let go. The theory that she had been held by Death Eaters made his blood run cold. Throughout the summer, he had been actively recruited by Lucius Malfoy to join the ranks of the Dark Lord. It seemed knowledge of his remarkable skills at potions making had reached the ears of the Dark Lord, who had decided he needed Severus’ skill for himself. Severus was granted the year to make his decision, but it was implied that denying The Dark Lord was not an option.

Looking at the girl in the bed, who looked to be no older than himself, he couldn’t help but feel sick that he had even been considering joining their ranks, as if he had a choice. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat at the thought of being forced to join with them and perform horrendous acts on innocent girls like the one lying in front of him. But if he didn’t join, The Dark Lord wouldn’t hesitate to do those horrendous acts on him, or worse.

“Severus, dear, are you alright? You look like you’re going to be sick,” Madam Pomfrey asked, tearing Severus from his thoughts.

Severus shook himself out of thoughts of Death Eaters and visions of his own death to look at Madam Pomfrey. “I’m fine,” he said, and then glanced behind her at the girl. It looked as if Madam Pomfrey had performed a cleansing charm on the girl. Her face was now free of the dirt and grime that had clung to it, and she looked so young. She didn’t have the traits of someone traditionally beautiful, but who was Severus to judge, with his large hooked nose and long stringy hair, he wasn’t exactly Adonis. “Is she going to be okay?” he asked.  
Madam Pomfrey gave him a small smile. “She will be fine, right now she’s resting, her body is exhausted. Once it catches up on sleep and feels that it is healed, she will wake up. Probably within the next twenty-four hours or so. Nothing to worry about.”

Severus continued to look at the girl. She would be fine. She would be awake in the next twenty-four hours. He desperately wanted to be here when she woke up. He knew if he wasn’t, Madam Pomfrey and the headmaster wouldn’t fill him in on anything that she says, but if he could just stay he would ensure that he was here to hear what she had to say. Maybe Death Eaters didn’t hold her; maybe a random radical had just picked her up.

“Madam Pomfrey, would you mind if I stayed here tonight?”

She sighed. “Severus, there’s nothing—“

“Please,” he begged. “You know if I tried walking back to my rooms tonight, James or Sirius, or both would stop me and I would just end up back here anyway. I’m just asking to stay here tonight.”

Madam Pomfrey sighed. “Fine. But only for tonight. Tomorrow morning you will wake up and attend classes. No sticking around for her to wake up. Even if she wakes up while you’re in class, she will still be here when you are finished. Understand, Mr. Snape,” she finished, giving him a pointed look.

Severus broke out in a huge grin. “Yes, ma’am.” He walked over to the bed next to the girl’s, lying down. He stole one more glance at her before Madam Pomfrey began lowering the lights in the ward. Once it was too dark to make out any more features, he closed his eyes and lost himself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus was awoken by what sounded like whimpering. He pried open his eyes, heavy with sleep, and tried to focus on his location. He wasn’t in his room in the dungeons. He was in the medical wing. His sleep addled brain took a few minutes to remember why he was there, and he came to the conclusion that he was not in there for anything wrong with himself, but he had helped a girl who had appeared in the Astronomy tower, injured.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked toward the girl lying in the bed next to his. She was thrashing about in her sleep, and crying out. Occasionally, in addition to the incoherent whimpers, he could make out words, like ‘Harry,’ and ‘Ron.’ But nothing really coherent.

He sat up in the bed and swung his legs over the side. He made his way to the girl, and could see she was drenched in sweat. He contemplated calling Madam Pomfrey over, but he didn’t want to bother her if he didn’t need to. He was perfectly capable of making sure the girl got back to sleep. He wasn’t as cold-hearted as the Gryffindors believed, he did have feelings, and was very compassionate, when he wanted to be. He just didn’t have those urges very often. But right now, the appearance of this girl seemed to bring something out of him, something he had buried deep in himself, but he didn’t know what or why.

He sat himself on the edge of her bed, careful not to jostle her, and reached for her hand. It felt warm and clammy in his. As soon as he took it, her thrashing stopped, but her words became a little more coherent.

“I didn’t steal it, it’s a copy,” she murmured. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Severus drew himself closer, lowering his ear toward her mouth, to try to make out the words she was saying. As he got closer, he noticed that her face was stained with tears. Whatever Madame Pomfrey had given her earlier, it either had worn off, or Dreamless Sleep hadn’t been included.

“Please,” she whimpered. “Please, I don’t know anything, please.”

Without knowing what he was doing, Severus brought his free hand up and began smoothing her hair, soothing her. He quirked an eyebrow and stared at where his hand was on the top of the girl’s head. She almost immediately stopped whimpering and began breathing easy again. Severus stayed where he was, for how long he wasn’t sure, but he watched as the girl settled back into a peaceful sleep as he gently stroked her hair.

He waited until he was certain she was asleep before gently removing his hands from her person and slowly standing up from the bed. As he returned to his bed, he contemplated the new side of his personality that seemed to be exhibiting itself tonight. He was never one for affection. In fact he grew up in a home with little affection. It was something that Lily, when they had been friends, seemed to criticize him for. It was the reason why he felt Slytherin was the perfect fit for him. As he lay back in the bed, he laughed to himself thinking about what the other Slytherins would have thought if they had seen him just now. His last thought before he fell back to sleep was what would Malfoy or The Dark Lord would have thought if they saw him comforting a muggleborn. With that thought, he fell into a restless sleep.

 

He next awoke from a gentle prodding in his side. He opened his eyes to see Madame Pomfrey smiling over him.

“Alright, Severus, time to wake up and get ready to go to your classes. We had a deal.”

Severus glanced quickly over to the girl.

“Never you mind her, she’s not awake, and the odds of her waking up any time soon, let alone while you’re in class are very slim. Go to class. She’ll be here when you get back.”

Severus sighed and got up from the cot, and walked out of the hospital wing, all the while looking over his shoulder at the girl, hoping she wouldn’t wake up while he was gone.

This continued for three days. Severus would return to the hospital wing after classes were over, and work on his coursework while keeping one eye on the girl. He would sleep in an adjoining cot, wake up in the middle of the night to comfort the girl, and wake up the next morning to start the whole process over again.

The evening of the third day, however, seemed different. He sat on the cot writing his essay for Arithmancy, when he heard moaning from the bed next to him. His brow crinkled. She never seemed to stir except for during the middle of the night. He looked over at her, and noticed her stirring. Not the typical thrashing back and forth, like during her nightmares, but real movement. Her hands slowly drew up to her eyes, rubbing them. 

“Madame Pomfrey!” he cried out instinctively, never taking his eyes off of her.

Madam Pomfrey rushed into the room. “What is it Severus?”

He pointed at the girl, as she began struggling to sit herself up in the bed. Madame Pomfrey rushed over to the floo, and called Dumbledore’s office, before rushing back to the girl.

“Careful, my dear, you musn’t rush this. You were very badly injured, you need to take your time.”

The girl opened her eyes. “Madame Pomfrey?” she croaked. “How did I get to Hogwarts?”

Madame Pomfrey looked confused, but before she could respond, the girl began to panic.

“I shouldn’t be here! It’s not safe for me. If Snape were to know I was here, it could ruin everything. Harry, where’s Harry?” She tried to get out of the bed, but she was too weak. “We were in Malfoy Manor, Harry and Ron were in the cellar. They must still be there, Madame Pomfrey, you have to help me get out of here so I can tell The Order…” she was cut off by the floo rushing to life and Dumbledore stepping out and into the room.

Her mouth dropped open and she began shaking her head back and forth. “This is impossible,” she muttered, tears springing to her eyes. “You’re dead.”

Severus couldn’t process anything she was saying fast enough. She wasn’t making any sense. How did she know him, and why would it be bad if he knew she were here? Did she know he was being recruited by the Death Eaters? And that stuff about being in Malfoy Manor bothered him. They were keeping prisoners in the cellar now? And why did she think Dumbledore was dead?

“My dear, I can assure you that I am very much alive,” Dumbledore smiled softly at the panicked girl. “Why don’t you explain to me what you remember last, so that we can figure out how to help you?”

The girl eyed Dumbledore skeptically. “Why would I tell you anything? I know Dumbledore is dead. I saw his body for myself. And I know that Hogwarts has been taken over by Death Eaters this term. So you must be one of them polyjuiced like Dumbledore to gain my trust. But it’s not going to work. I would go through more rounds of Cruciatus before telling you anything.”

Dumbledore’s expression softened at the girl. “My dear, I assure you, I am who I say I am. However, I feel that I am at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don’t know who you are. What is your name, child?”

“If you are really Professor Dumbledore, then you should know who I am,” the girl replied.

“I’m sorry, but I know all of my students here at Hogwarts, and I assure you, that I have never seen you. What year are you?”

“I’m supposed to be a Seventh Year, however, I couldn’t return to Hogwarts this year.”

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, studying at her. He turned to Severus. “My boy, you’re a Seventh Year, do you recall seeing this girl in any of your classes in previous years?”

Severus, still in shock from what was coming out of her mouth, shook his head. “No, sir.”

The girl turned toward him, and once she looked at him, she gasped. “No, no, no, this is impossible.”

“What’s wrong my dear?”

“I’m sleeping, that’s it. I’m sleeping and in a really bad dream. Or I’m delusional,” she was muttering to herself.

“What’s your name, dear?” Madame Pomfrey spoke from beside her. 

“Hermione,” she said. “Hermione Granger.”

“Hermione, dear, you came in here in very bad shape. What happened dear? Do you remember? How long were you held captive and tortured?”

“What year is it?” she answered instead. 

Madame Pomfrey tilted her head sideways. “What year do you think it is?”

“Please I need to know the year,” she said, glancing back in Severus’ direction. “Please!” 

Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore exchanged uneasy glances, before Dumbledore stepped next the girl, taking her face between his hands. “Legilimens,” he said softly as he stared into her eyes.

Hermione cried out as the Professor entered her mind, and Severus watched uneasily from where he sat, his coursework forgotten.

After what seemed like hours, Dumbledore pulled back from Hermione and she cried out, bringing her hands to her head, wincing in pain.

“Oh dear,” Dumbledore muttered. “This is a problem, a real problem.”

“What is it, Headmaster?” Poppy asked.

“This girl has traveled very far to be here with us,” Dumbledore started. “Very far indeed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Severus asked, speaking for the first time.

“It means, that whatever is said in this room tonight, cannot leave this room, or I’m going to have to be forced to Obliviate, which I don’t want to. So, you’re to take a wand oath that you will not speak of anything that is discussed in this room with anyone other than the people present. If you cannot do that, you may leave now.”

Severus and Poppy pulled out their wands, “I swear,” they said in unison. Magic swirled around the room, sealing their oath.

Satisfied, Dumbledore turned back to Hermione. “My dear, I don’t know how to break this to you.”

Hermione interrupted, “Sir, I think it would be best if you would just say it. I already suspect. Please just confirm it for me. I fear if you don’t, I will believe that I am now in St. Mungos having been driven insane from the Cruciatus.”

Dumbledore took a deep breath. “From what I have gathered from your memories, you are not from our time. Today is October 3, 1977. When are you from, Hermione?

Severus couldn’t breathe in anticipation of the answer. She was obviously from the future, but how far into the future was she? 

Hermione took a deep breath, before she answered. “I’m not sure the exact date, I’ve been spending most of my time in a tent, you see. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say sometime in the spring. 1998.”


	3. Chapter 3

Twenty years. She came from over twenty years in the future. Severus was pretty sure his mouth continued to hang open from the shock of her confession. In twenty years, this girl will be tortured in Malfoy Manor. In twenty years, Death Eaters would be in control of Hogwarts. In twenty years, he would be someone she feared. In twenty years, Dumbledore would be dead. Out of all the things he learned from her rant about his future, the idea that he was someone who was feared both excited and terrified him.

He looked at Hermione. He had a million questions he wanted to ask her about his future. However, as he looked her over, for the first time as she was sitting up, he noticed how weak she looked. She was so thin. And she looked exhausted, even though she had been sleeping for days. No, asking her questions about his future could wait. Right now he had a question for Dumbledore.

“How?” he asked. “How did she get here? Time travel is impossible, and on top of that, if she last remembers being in Malfoy Manor, how is it when she traveled back twenty years that she ended up in the Astronomy Tower?”

“My boy, those are all very fine questions, however, I am very unsure as to how to answer them. What do you remember, Hermione? Do you have any ideas as to how you managed this feat?”

Hermione shook her head. “No, sir, I don’t.”

“Without giving too much away from the future, can you describe to me what you remember last?”

Hermione nodded. “Would you like to know anything leading up to our capture, or just my experience at Malfoy Manor?”

Dumbledore thought it over. “I want to know everything immediately leading up to your capture until you woke up here. I think those details will help me determine how you came to be here.”

Hermione nodded. “My two best friends and I had been on the run since August, trying to,” she paused trying to think of how to word what she was trying to describe, “solve a problem that you, sir, had set for us to accomplish. During that time, the wizarding world had been experiencing major problems.

“While we were on our, let’s call it an extended camping trip, we had our fair share of problems. We didn’t have much contact with the outside world, but for a radio. We had been so careful, making sure to cast the right wards around our campsites and to take all precautions from getting caught.

“However, my friend forgot about an important detail. He slipped and said something he shouldn’t have said; a word that shouldn’t have been spoken. Once he said the word, these men, snatchers, appeared outside our tent. I knew we couldn’t escape, so I threw a stinging jinx at my friend, making the most recognizable, and most wanted wizard in the world, unrecognizable. They took us to Malfoy Manor. As they were trying to determine if my friend was who they thought he was, the snatchers went through my bag and found something in there that made one of the women there think I had been in her Gringott’s vault. She sent my friends to the cellar while she ‘questioned’ me.

“She kept using the Cruciatus on me, but she wouldn’t listen to me when I said I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she was on top of me, carving something into my arm. I don’t remember much after that. She threw a few more rounds of Cruciatus at me, but I think I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking up here. I’m sorry, sir, that I can’t be much more help.”

Severus looked at Hermione. Her body was shaking after reliving the events that brought her here. Tears were pooling in her eyes, she looked so…scared. And alone. Severus tried to shut down the voice in his head that told him keep his distance; to keep up his Slytherin appearances. Yet somehow he found himself crossing the space between the beds and sitting down next to her. He slung his arm around her shoulders to offer her comfort and try and stop her shaking. He felt her stiffen, and quickly removed his arm from her person.

“I’m sorry,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I don’t think I fully understand what he’s doing here,” she said, addressing the adults in the room.

“My dear,” Madam Pomfrey said. “He’s the one that found you. He was in the Astronomy Tower when you appeared. He carried you down here to me. He hasn’t left your side, other than to attend classes. He’s been very worried about you.”

Hermione turned back to Severus, her gaze softened. “Really?”

Severus felt heat rise in his cheek. He lowered his gaze and allowed his hair to curtain his face and shrugged his shoulders.

Dumbledore broke the awkward silence that fell in the room. “Since you can’t remember what spell was used to send you here, I’m going to have to do some research to figure out how to send you back to your time. Now, what to do with you while you’re here. You said you were a Seventh Year, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Hermione said.

“And since you were on your trip, you were not attending Hogwarts to complete that year?”

“Yes, sir. But even if I hadn’t been on said trip, I wouldn’t have been able to return to Hogwarts anyway. I come from very trying times, sir, and a muggleborn as myself was not safe.”

“I see,” Dumbledore said. “I would ask more, but I think we can all agree that knowing too much of the future would be detrimental to the time line. What house were you in while you attended?”

Severus held his breath as he waited for her to answer. He knew as a muggleborn she would not be in Slytherin, but he hoped that she was in anything besides Gryffindor. If she were in either of the other two houses, he would still be able to interact with her freely and find out more about his future. If she were in Gryffindor, the Marauders would make sure she never saw him again, and destroy any positive feelings that she would have after finding out he had rescued her.

“Gryffindor,” Hermione replied.

Severus’ shoulders slumped as he sank deeper into the bed, trying to disappear. Of course she would be a Gryffindor. A Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff wouldn’t have gone running headlong into danger.

Dumbledore nodded his head. “Well, Miss Granger, I think the best solution would be to enroll you in classes for the time being as a transfer student. I will place you in Gryffindor Tower, and you will go about your business until I can find a way to send you back to your time. I would caution you to be careful with what you tell the other students. We can’t have anyone know you come from the future. Now which N.E.W.T level classes were you planning on taking before your unfortunate need to drop out?”

“Transfiguration, Charms, Potions and Arithmency,” Hermione replied, her voice becoming stronger.

Severus looked up. Those were all the same N.E.W.T classes he was taking. Even if they were in rival houses, he would still be able to talk to her, if only under the pretense of coursework. 

Dumbledore nodded. “How long will she have to remain here, Madame Pomfrey?”

“At least a few more days. I need to make sure she is strong enough, and I want to make sure that the injury to her arm at least remains scabbed over a while longer, before I release her.”

Hermione drew her eyebrows together. “The injury on my arm?” She glanced down at her left forearm, and saw the bandage. “What kind of injury? All I remember is Bel—I mean, the Death Eater carving me up with a knife, I think. You couldn’t heal it?”

Madame Pomfrey’s eyes filled with sympathy. “My dear, I’m sorry to say that whoever did this to you used an item filled with dark magic. It refused to heal. I’m afraid you’re going to have to live with a very nasty scar.”

Hermione never removed her eyes from the bandage. “What’s it look like? The scar?”

Madame Pomfrey couldn’t get herself to look Hermione in the eyes. “It’s a word.”

“What word?” Hermione asked forcefully.

“Mudblood,” Madame Pomfrey whispered.

“I see,” Hermione said, closing her eyes. “Of course it would be that word. Why would I even consider it would be something different?” When she opened her eyes, Severus could see unshed tears glistening. “If you don’t mind,” she said addressing everyone present, “I would like to get some rest now.”

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. “I will arrange everything for you to begin classes. I shall bring you the details in the morning.” He turned and returned to his office by floo.

“I’m going to go and get a couple potions ready for you my dear. Would you like some Dreamless Sleep as well?” Madame Pomfrey asked.

“No thank you,” Hermione said.

After Madame Pomfrey nodded and went into her supply closet to start gathering the necessary potions, Severus began rising from the bed, only to be stopped by a tiny hand grabbing a hold of the sleeve of his robe. He turned to see Hermione looking at him with pleading eyes.

“Will you come back tomorrow? To see me?” she asked. 

Severus nodded. “Of course,” he replied.

She gave him a smile and let go of his sleeve. He gathered his school bag and course work and started toward the door, only to be stopped one more time by her voice.

“Severus?”

He turned around. “Yes?”

“Thank you,” she gave him a smile then, a real smile, and he couldn’t help but smiling a little in return.

“You’re welcome.” He turned and left the hospital wing, walking back to the dungeons with a small smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Severus couldn’t concentrate all through his morning classes. He kept thinking about Hermione Granger—the girl from the future. In a completely uncharacteristic move, he almost allowed his potion to explode his cauldron during potions class. He caught it just in time, but it didn’t stop his mind from continuing to wander to the petite brunette and her link to his future.

At lunch, Severus rushed into the Great Hall and piled two plates full of food. Unsure what Hermione liked, he put a little bit of everything on the plate. The other Slytherins gave him odd looks, but no one spoke up. It wasn’t too unusual for Severus to fill up a plate and leave the Great Hall during meals, but it was unusual for him to take so much food with him. Before heading out of the Hall and up to the hospital wing, Severus took a glance at the Gryffindor table. The Marauders were all there, along with Lily. They were all laughing at something Sirius said, causing a scene in the Hall. Severus shook his head in disgust, unable to believe that Hermione would soon be sitting at that table, being influenced by them. As he walked through the door, he briefly caught Lily watching him with a curious look on her face. He gave her a little nod before turning and exiting the Hall.

Severus hurried through the halls and up the many moving staircases, all while trying very hard to not spill any of the food he had on his plates. His lunch break wasn’t as long as he would like it and he didn’t want to waste any of it dallying in the hallways. Luckily, the castle was on his side, and he made it to the hospital wing in almost record time. He walked into the room and easily spotted Hermione sitting up in her bed staring morosely at whatever was in the bowl in front of her. 

He walked over to her bed, and smiled as she looked up, noticing him. Her face instantly changed as he approached.

“Thank Merlin,” she said, as she wandlessly and nonverbally summoned a chair to the side of her bed for Severus to sit in. “I was bored out of my mind.”

Severus chuckled. “I would imagine. Did Pomfrey or Dumbledore bring you anything to keep you busy?”

Hermione shook her head. “No. I’m supposed to be ‘resting,’” she said, forming air quotes with her fingers. “It’s driving me mad.”

“I’ll sneak up something to keep you occupied after classes are done for the day. What would you like? Witch Weekly? A crossword? Books?”

“Books,” Hermione interrupted. “Preferably any books you can find for the term. I fear I’m dreadfully behind and I need to catch up before I begin classes.” She paused, looking at the plate Severus slid in front of her, moving the bowl of grey mush out of the way. “What’s all this?”

Severus suddenly felt uneasy. Did he overstep? “It’s lunch. I didn’t know what you liked, so I brought you a little bit of everything.”

“You’re amazing!” Hermione exclaimed, picking up a fork and digging in. “This is the best meal I’ve eaten in ages. I thought for sure I was going to continue to starve if all I had to eat was what Madame Pomfrey claims to be oatmeal until I got out of here. Thank you so much! This was very thoughtful of you.”

Severus blushed, looking down into his own plate, and starting to eat. “You’re welcome,” he mumbled.

The two ate in companionable silence, Severus enjoying actually eating a meal where he didn’t have to constantly look over his shoulder, and he still got to eat with another human. It happened more and more rarely lately. He didn’t know why, but The Marauders had upped their prank pulling at meal times lately and Severus didn’t feel safe in the Great Hall anymore. He couldn’t wait to be done with Hogwarts and permanently done with The Marauders. 

He was so busy lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear what Hermione had asked him. “What was that?”

“I’m not keeping you from lunch with your friends, am I?” she repeated.

Severus shook his head. “No, you’re not. I typically take my meals outside of the Great Hall eating alone.”

Hermione nodded. “I’m glad you came up here then, instead of wherever you usually go. I’m really enjoying your company.”

Severus gave her a small smile. “I’m enjoying yours, as well.”

“Will you bring up supper tonight?”

Severus looked up to make sure she was being serious. This was all a bit weird. No one really voluntarily wanted to spend time with him. Let alone a girl. Girls typically avoided him like the plague. He wasn’t very attractive, and he was very socially awkward. When combined he often felt it kind of created a bit of girl repellent. And now, a very beautiful girl, from the future no less, was asking to spend more time with him. If he wasn’t positive that she hadn’t had any interaction with Potter and Black, he would think this would be one of their pranks. Make him think a girl liked him, only to humiliate him later.

“Never mind,” he heard Hermione saying. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“What?” Severus said, realizing he must have taken too long to answer. “No, I’ll bring supper up. What do you like? I don’t want to bring you something you won’t eat and you’ll have to be stuck with whatever Pomfrey brings you.”

“Anything. I’m not picky at all,” she answered. “Are you sure it’s not an inconvenience?”

“Not at all. I need to bring you textbooks anyway,” he answered. “I can bring you the books and supper.”

Hermione smiled widely, her whole face lighting up. Severus decided that was his favorite expression of hers. “That would be wonderful! And maybe you could continue to bring me meals until I’m out of here? And during meals you can help me get caught up in the classes we share.”

Severus nodded, “Of course. We’re going to be in all the same classes, so that’ll be easy.”

“We will? Merlin, that makes me feel so much better. At least I’ll know someone in my classes. Maybe we can set up study times once I’m free from here. Since we’ll be in all the same classes, it should be easy to match up our time tables. Do you play Quidditch?”

Severus shook his head.

“Perfect, that will make it even easier. And you said you don’t take your meals in the Great Hall, so we can just study while we eat. I wonder if we can find an empty classroom to claim as our own.” 

As Hermione rambled on, Severus had a hard time keeping up with her. Mostly because what she was saying was almost unbelievable.

“Look, Hermione, this all sounds great,” Severus interrupted, “but as soon as you’re out of here, and moved into Gryffindor Tower, you’re not going to want to study with me. Or take your meals with me. Or even associate with me. And that’s okay. I’ll bring you your meals, and we can study together while you’re in the hospital wing, but that’s it.”

Hermione looked at him her eyes narrowed. “Why wouldn’t I want to spend time with you? You’re the only person in this time that I know, and I’ve enjoyed the little time we’ve spent together so far. Of course I’m going to want to continue to get to know you and spend time with you.”

Severus shook his head. “That’s what you think now. Once you’re in that tower, everything will change. Just wait.”

Hermione looked at him, and shook her head. “Is this because of House rivalries? Because I’ve never bought into those. Just because I’m a Gryffindor doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with a Slytherin.”

“It’s not that,” Severus said. “Well, it’s part of it, but there’s so much more. I’m not well liked by many Gryffindors in our year, and the first thing they’ll do is color your opinion of me. And if they don’t succeed in that, they’ll ostracize you for associating with me and I can’t do that to you.”

“Then I’ll ask Dumbledore to bring the hat in and resort me. I’ll tell the hat to sort me Slytherin,” Hermione said, matter-of-factly, like resorting were no big deal.

“No,” Severus shouted. “As nice as it would be to have you in my House, you can’t go into Slytherin with that scar on your arm,” he said, gesturing to her bandaged arm. “You would never survive.”

Hermione looked down at her arm, sadness passing over her face before she shook it off and looked up at him, determination in her eyes. “Then we’ll figure something out. I’ve been ostracized before, for much less.”

Severus opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Madame Pomfrey walking in and catching sight of them. She let out a loud sigh, and walked over to the teenagers.

“Severus, lunch is just about over and I’m sure you have another class coming up. Our patient needs to rest.”

“Yes, Madame Pomfrey,” Severus muttered, standing up. “I’ll be back later,” Severus said.

Hermione smiled. “I look forward to it.”

Severus returned her smile and turned to exit out the room. He was lost in his thoughts about the conversation they had that he almost missed the redhead who was currently leaning up against the wall directly across from the entrance to the Hospital Wing, arms crossed across her chest.

“Lily!” he said, surprised, coming to a stop in front of her.

“Severus,” she said. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”


	5. Chapter 5

Severus stared at the girl in front of him. After months and months of not speaking to him suddenly, out of nowhere, she decides to talk to him? And not even to see how he was doing and not even in a particularly friendly matter. No, she was standing in front of him, after following him from the Great Hall, demanding him to tell her what he was up to. In the past, he wouldn’t hesitate to tell her everything. But after his few and brief interactions with Hermione, he began to wonder if Lily had always treated him in this way. He would have to take some time later to reflect on their past relationship but, for now, he had an ex-friend to get rid of.

“That’s none of your concern, Lily,” Severus answered, gruffly, moving to walk past her.

Lily blocked his path. “And why not? I’m your friend aren’t I? Shouldn’t I know why you’re sneaking plates of food up to the Hospital Wing? You’re not sick are you?”

Severus almost laughed at the concern she was pretending to show. The Marauders probably saw him sneak away, and sent Lily for reconnaissance. “Friend?” Severus said, with a soft chuckle. “Since when are we friends? I seem to recall our friendship ending somewhere in fifth year with you refusing my apology for my outburst during a humiliating attack by your housemates.”

Lily sighed, running her hand through her long red hair, rolling her eyes. “Fine, we’re not friends, but we were and I’m worried about you. You’ve not taken seriously ill have you?”

“I’m fine,” Severus answered. “So you can save your false sentiments and run back to your little gang. That’s all you’re going to find out from me.” Severus pushed past her, and began walking quickly away from the hospital wing.

“Sev,” Lily called out.

Severus stopped, but didn’t turn around. “It’s Severus. Now, leave me alone, I need to get to class.” He continued to walk through the hall, and didn’t look back.

Over the next few days Severus took every meal with Hermione. During their meals together, they would go over the material she had missed in the classes she would be attending as soon as she was well enough to leave the Hospital Wing. Severus was impressed by how quickly she learned and caught onto the things he explained to her. He learned early-on that her strength lay in Transfiguration and Arithmency and that she was weaker in Potions. That wasn’t to say she was bad at the subject, he could already tell she was a by the book type person and one to not deviate from the instructions Slughorn writes on the board. Once she was in class with him, he was determined to break her of that habit.

When they weren’t studying, they would talk a little about their social lives. Severus listened as Hermione talked about her two best friends, both males, whom she refused to name, and how they would find themselves in some kind of trouble nearly every year and were responsible for the loss of many house points. Hearing her stories only made him worry more about their new friendship once she made it into Gryffindor Tower. She sounded like she would fit in nicely with The Marauders. Severus didn’t say anything though, he didn’t want to waste the little time they had together before she was released arguing about whether or not she was going to abandon him. 

As much as she talked about her life at Hogwarts before being sent back to his time, she never talked about the future specifically. Severus waited with baited breath, anxious to catch any sort of glimpse of something of his future. When she first awoke, she seemed to know who he was and that was always in the back of his mind, waiting for her to slip up and say something. He really wanted to just come right out and ask her what he wanted to know but he felt that he didn’t know her well enough to ask her. If they continued to be friends, maybe he would gain the courage in a couple months to ask her. If she abandoned him…well he wasn’t sure if could handle the not knowing. All he wanted to know was if he was one of the people who tortured her. 

It was the morning of the third day after she had woken up and Severus was on his way to the hospital wing with breakfast in hand. Hermione had been looking better and better with each trip he made. She was becoming more energetic and was really itching to get released. When he walked in, Hermione was sitting on the edge of her bed, wearing a full Hogwarts uniform, and her face lit up when she noticed he had arrived. Severus couldn’t help but return the smile.

“Severus!” she exclaimed, jumping up. “I’m being released today! I get to start classes this morning!”

“That’s great!” Severus said, trying his hardest to sound excited for her, as he handed her a plate. It shouldn’t have surprised him that she was breaking out today; Dumbledore had taken her into Diagon Alley the day before to get a new wand and supplies. 

“Oh, don’t do that,” Hermione said from beside him after he joined her on the edge of her bed. 

“Do what?”

“Fret. Worry. Nothing’s going to change. We’ll still study together. We’ll still be friends.”

Severus could only nod. No matter how many times she assured him, he still wasn’t confident that her predictions would come to pass.

“So, we start with potions this morning, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“I wonder who my lab partner will be. Or do you think that I’ll be left to work alone because I’ll be the odd man out?”

“I’ll be your partner,” Severus said, almost too loudly. “I’m currently the odd man out in class; I haven’t had a lab partner since fifth year. So, you would be partnered with me, whether we were friends or not.”

“That’s wonderful!” Hermione said. “That actually makes me feel a lot less nervous about starting classes. You’re sure you’re in all my classes?”

Severus nodded. “Positive. And you have nothing to be nervous about, you’ll do fine. You’re very intelligent.”

Hermione laughed nervously. “Thanks. I’m still nervous. I’m the new girl, coming in in the middle of term. Everyone is going to be staring at me. I hope you’re prepared for the attention.”

Severus turned to look at her. “Why would I need to be prepared for attention? They all know me.”

“Because I’m going to be glued to your side all day until you deliver me to the Fat Lady’s portrait at the very last second before curfew.”

Severus just stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing was coming out. He was,for all intents and purposes, speechless.

Hermione took the last bite of her breakfast and set the plate aside before turning to face him. “Oh, don’t look so surprised. I’ve been telling you that you’re my friend. You’re the only person I know here and you’re in all of my classes. It’s only natural that we should walk to and from classes together. And you’ve already told me that you don’t take any meals in the Great Hall, so it would make sense that neither should I. We should utilize that time to start preparing for NEWTS. And since I’m the new girl, who shouldn’t have any knowledge of the castle, I’m obviously going to need to be shown around by someone. And I choose you, rather than someone who I don’t already know, which will just make everything just incredibly awkward.”

“You seem to have everything figured out. Don’t I get a say in all of this? What if I don’t want the attention that comes with being seen with the new girl? Don’t you think people are going to wonder why you’re so attached to me when you should know nobody?” Severus said, a little too harshly.

Hermione deflated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to just assume. Look, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I’ll be fine. I’m sure that McGonagall will have someone lined up, maybe a prefect, to show me around.”

Severus quickly thought about who the seventh year Gryffindor Prefects were. “No, it’s fine. I don’t mind showing you around. But maybe next time you could ask me before planning everything out for me? I don’t want to be controlled.”

“Oh, Severus, I’m sorry! I didn’t think. Of course. One of my faults is that I can be rather controlling, especially when it comes to school and schedules and the boys always just let me. I’ll try to be more mindful from now on.”

“That’s all I ask,” Severus said.

Hermione smiled, glancing up at the clock on the wall. “We better get going, Potions start soon.”

Severus took her plate out of her hands and set it on the table; he stood up, and offered her a hand. She took it, pulling herself up to standing position. She reached down, picking up a book bag that had been sitting by the side of her bed.

“Is that all that you have?” Severus asked.

“Dumbledore sent my trunk ahead to Gryffindor Tower this morning. He came in bright and early and announced that I could start classes today and that he would personally escort me to the Great Hall for breakfast and to allow me to get acquainted with my fellow housemates. When I asked him if he would get word to you that I would no longer be here so you wouldn’t waste your time to come up here and find it empty, he kind of stammered but never really gave me a full answer, so I declined and told him I would wait here for you. He didn’t seem too happy about that and just said he would have my stuff waiting for me in my room when I was ready to head there.”  
Severus frowned as they turned to leave the Hospital Wing. Why would Dumbledore be unhappy that she wanted to spend time with him? He shook his head, trying not to dwell on it. Dumbledore always seemed to dislike him but he could never figure out why.

“So, you’re feeling better?” Severus asked as they moved through the halls and down the many stairs.

Hermione nodded. “Much. I haven’t felt this good in months. The only thing that bothers me is this.” She lifted her sleeve to show the bandage that was still in place. “It still hasn’t healed properly. I’m really worried it’s going to become infected.”

Severus thought for a second. “I may have something that would work. We’ll try it after supper tonight.”

“Really?” Hermione asked, skepticism heavy in her voice.

“Yes,” Severus said. “But don’t get your hopes up, just in case it doesn’t work.”

“I won’t,” Hermione said. “I’ll just be happy that you tried.”

Severus didn’t get a chance to respond as they approached the Potions classroom. He opened the door and allowed her to enter first. Most of the class was already there, setting up their stations. As they walked in Slughorn took instant notice. 

“Ah, you must be our new student, Miss Granger. It’s good to finally meet you. The Headmaster has told me that Severus here has been working very hard to get you caught up. Mr. Snape is one of my star pupils and he doesn’t currently have a lab partner, so this will work out splendidly. Severus, my boy, why don’t you take Miss Granger to your station and show her where everything is.”

“Yes, sir,” Severus said, leading the way to his station, Hermione following closely behind him.

They had no sooner sat down and begun to pull out their materials when their desk is surrounded by Marauders.


	6. Chapter 6

"Can I help you?" Hermione asked from beside him.

The Marauders laughed.

"We were going to ask you that same question, love," Sirius asked, smiling.

Hermione looked at him, confused. "Why would I need your help?"

They laughed again, sharing looks and smirking. 

"Well, because you've been paired with Snivellus here. We talked it over when we learned Gryffindor was getting a new Seventh Year transfer student and we decided we couldn't let her suffer the fate of the greasy git. So, Peter, here, has graciously offered to sacrifice himself to save your honor. Remus is your new partner, so why don't you just gather your things and move right over there," Sirius explained, gesturing at the table close to the front of the room. 

Severus turned to look at Hermione. Her mouth dropped open in shock for a split second before her eyes narrowed in anger. 

"And who are you to presume who I do and do not want to work with?" she spat out.

Servers whipped his head back to the laughing Marauders. 

"Well, I'm Sirius," he said gesturing at himself. "And these are my friends, and our fellow Gryffindors, James, Peter and Remus." He pointed to each boy as he introduced them. "Now, if you would pack your things up, class is going to begin soon and I know Remus likes to have his station in a particular way before brewing."

"I'm perfectly happy where I am, thank you," Hermione responded, planting herself on her stool.

"I know you're new but you should realize that no Gryffindor would be happy being paired with a snake like Snivellus," James spoke up from beside Sirius.

Hermione turned to Severus. "Do we need anything else, Severus?" She asked, ignoring the boys in front of her, emphasizing his name.

Following her lead, he ignored them too. "No, we have everything, we just need to wait for Slughorn to put instructions up on the board."

Hermione smiled at him, "Good," she turned back to The Marauders. "I'm going to pass on your offer and remain Severus's partner, so you can go back to your stations."

The boys looked at her like she had lost her mind but on a signal from James they turned around and started walking back to their stations. 

"Oh, and boys?" Hermione called out, causing all four of them to turn around and look at her. "Don't presume you know what is best for me again," she said, just a hint of a threat lacing her voice.

The Marauders didn't say anything in return, they just continued on their way to their stations, muttering to each other quietly.

Severus spent the rest of potions trying to hide a smile.

For the rest of the morning, the Marauders didn't bother the couple. They would shoot looks throughout the classes they shared and then whisper to each other but they didn't dare approach the pair. Severus continued to keep his guard up throughout the morning; he didn't trust the boys to just leave them alone and he still didn't trust that Hermione wasn’t going to come to her senses and leave him for her fellow Gryffindors. 

By the time lunch rolled around, he was a bundle of nerves. Now was the time for Hermione to prove she kept her word. They walked into The Great Hall arm and arm and he waited for her to peel off to head to her table. Instead, she surprised him by following him to his.

"What are you doing?" he asked under his breath.

"I thought we were planning to eat lunch in an abandoned classroom? Have you changed your mind?" Hermione asked, genuinely concerned.

Severus shook his head. "No, I haven't, I just thought you would rather fill your plate at the Gryffindor table," he answered, covering his insecurity.

Hermione glanced at the table in the center of the hall and curled her upper lip up in disgust. "I'd rather not have any more interactions with my housemates until it is absolutely necessary."

"I don't blame you," Severus said, leading the way to the Slytherin table.

Severus ignored looks and whispers the Slytherins sent them as they filled their plates and quickly left the Great Hall. Severus led the way to his favorite empty classroom and Hermione shut the door behind her and they settled in to eat.

"Are they always like that?" Hermione asked after a few minutes.

"Are who always like what?" Severus asked.

"Sirius and his friends. Do they always act like they’re better than everyone else?”

Severus sneered, “Yes. Especially when it comes to their interactions with me.”

Hermione stopped eating, concern marking her face. “What do you mean, ‘especially in their interaction with you?’”

Severus shrugged. “Just that they go out of their way to be cruel to me. Have done since I was a first year.”

Hermione’s mouth dropped open, and Severus could see the pity forming in her eyes.

“Look, Hermione, I didn’t tell you this so that you would feel sorry for me, so please don’t do that. You asked if they were always the way they are, and I answered. That’s it.”

“I don’t feel sorry for you, Severus, but I am angry for you. They’ve bullied you since first year? Why?”

Severus shrugged. “I’m obviously lower class, I’m a Slytherin, my best friend was a Gryffindor, my hair is naturally lank and oily; you name it, they’ve used it as an excuse to pick on me.”

Hermione shook her head, closing her eyes, muttering something under her breath, something about how she didn’t know how she would tell someone named Harry something. She opened her eyes, and instead of pity, there was anger. “They picked on you for those petty reasons? And your best friend just stood by and let them do it?”

Severus shook his head. “No, she defended me at first. But in fifth year, they humiliated me and when she came to my defense I lashed out at her, called her something that I immediately regretted, and she refused to accept my apology. She hasn’t really spoken to me since and now she spends all her time snogging fucking James Potter.”

Hermione held up her hand, “Wait, you apologized immediately after your transgression and she has ignored you for two years?”

Severus nodded. “For the most part. She cornered me outside of the Hospital Wing that first day I brought you food, wanting to know what I was up to. But after spending time with you I realized that she’s always treated me like shit and it wasn’t hard to not tell her what was going on.”

“Was that when you started eating your meals elsewhere? When she cut off her ties to you?” Hermione asked, quietly.

Severus nodded. “Part of the reason. The other part was to give myself a break from the constant tormenting. They always have some kind of prank or taunt ready and I never know when they’re going to do something. So, to take away the stress of always being on guard, I just started eating somewhere else. And I always rotate empty classrooms, or passageways, and always at random to make it harder for them to find me.”

Before he had time to prepare himself, Hermione launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Severus froze for a second, unsure of what to do, before wrapping his arms loosely around her body.

“I’m so sorry that you’ve had to suffer so much during your entire school career. I wish that I could have been here so that you wouldn’t have to be alone.”

“Well, you’re here now,” Severus said, quietly into her mass of hair. “And I can already tell this year will be the best one yet.”


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione came into the room in a huff, throwing her bag on the ground before sliding into the desk with her food. Severus looked up from his book to see her violently stabbing her eggs with a fork. 

After a week of classes the two of them had settled into a routine. They would meet in the same classroom every morning for breakfast and then were inseparable until just about curfew when they went to their separate common rooms. 

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Hermione sighed and looked up from her breakfast massacre. "I need to get out of that bloody tower," she said.

That got Severus's attention; in the time that he'd known her, Hermione had never used such language.

"What happened?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Sirius Black happened. He cornered me this morning, literally backed me into a corner in the common room, and harassed me about going with him to Hogsmeade this weekend. The only way I could get away from him was to tell him to fuck off and take advantage of his absolute shock to push my way around him. And once I got away from him, you know what I found?"

Severus shook his head.

"His three cohorts standing there, giggling. I'm about ready to just hex the lot of them and damn the consequences."

Severus gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wish Dumbledore had allowed the hat to resort me. I think I would be much happier in another house."

The two ate in silence for a few minutes, Severus trying desperately to get the courage to ask her something he'd been putting off all week.

He cleared his throat. "Um, Hermione?"

She looked up from her plate. "Yes, Severus?"

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

Hermione smiled brightly. "I would love to go with you. But I have to warn you, I'm probably going to, want to spend most of the day at Tomes and Scrolls."

Severus could hardly believe his ears when Hermione accepted. It took him a second to recover and respond to her. "Considering that is my preferred stop in town, I think I will manage."

They turned back to their breakfast, and the entire time they were eating, Severus had to repress the joy that was bubbling up inside.

XXxX

Severus stood in the entryway anxiously waiting for Hermione to come down the stairs. He still couldn't believe that he was going to Hogsmeade with Hermione. He had to pinch himself a few times to try and make sure he wasn't dreaming for as much as he tried to not have it happen, he was beginning to fall for Hermione.

He was not very happy with himself. After years of unrequited feelings with Lily Evans, the next girl to come into his life and show him some kindness and friendship, he had to go and start developing a. crush on her and this time, he was sure that his feelings would go unreturned. Hermione was from the future. She was sure to wants return to her time and not have too many ties to this one. Also, she knew him from the future. She was acquainted with his thirty-seven year old self. How could she look at him now and not think of the old man he would become? No, it would really do him well to just suppress his feelings. He was happier now than he had been in a long time and Hermione's friendship was a major contributing factor for that. There was no way he wanted to jeopardize that.

Severus smiled as he watched Hermione make her way down the stairs. She had forgone her school robes and was wearing a pair of muggle jeans and a peasant top. Her hair pulled back in a messy pony tail. She smiled back as she made her way to him. 

“Are you ready?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Brilliant, let’s go!” she said, leading the way out the doors.

Severus caught up with her quickly. “Is there anything else you would like to do, other than browse books?” he asked.

Hermione shook her head. “Not particularly. Maybe we can get a Butterbeer after?”

Severus nodded. “Yeah, we can do that. Are you looking for anything specific?”

“I’m looking for any books that I can find about time travel. Dumbledore isn’t being much help, and I need to know how I ended up back here. And whether or not I can get back to my own time.”

Severus didn’t say anything. He just kept looking ahead. Of course she would want to research getting back to her own time. She would want to get back to her friends.

He felt Hermione lace her fingers with his, and give his hand a squeeze.

“Severus, you know that me researching getting back to my own time doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying my time here with you, right?”

Severus just shrugged, hiding his face behind his curtain of hair.

“I need to know what happened to me and whether or not there’s a chance that I’ll be able to go back. But,” she paused. “If I can’t get back, I think I’m okay with it. Because I have you here.”

Severus turned his head so fast to look at her, he was certain he would have gotten whiplash. But she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking straight ahead. He turned so he was looking ahead as well. And the two continued their walk to Hogsmeade, in silence, still holding hands.


	8. Chapter 8

Once they were in town, they made a beeline for the bookstore. When they entered, Hermione gave Severus's hand a squeeze and moved toward the back of the store, presumably to look for books on time travel. He moved into the potions section. They had only been in the store maybe fifteen minutes when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him.

He turned around, bracing himself to face the Marauders, but instead found himself face to face with a regal man with long, platinum hair.

"Lucius!" he exclaimed. "What brings you to Hogsmeade?"

"You, of course, Severus," Lucius replied. "The Dark Lord's interest in you is growing. I have told him all about your talents in potions and he is intrigued. He is in need of a Potioneer, and he wants to meet with you and offer that position to you."

Severus glanced around nervously. He didn't see Hermione around. He didn’t want her to know that he had been, at some point, considering joining the ranks of the Dark Lord's cause.

"Wow," Severus said. "I thought you said over this summer that the chances of me joining the cause were slim because I'm a half-blood? What changed?"

"I've spent the last few months talking you up," Lucius replied. "I emphasized your house association and your talents. Finally, the Dark Lord began to show interest. He wants to meet with you over Christmas Holidays, for an interview of sorts."

Severus swallowed hard. "How will I know when or where?"

"I will be retrieving you from that hovel you call a home when he seems it necessary, so make sure you return for the holiday. I remember your tendency to remain at school but I encourage you to forgo that tradition this once."

Severus nodded. "I'll be sure to go home. I'm sure I can endure the Muggle for the sake of having the opportunity to meet with the Dark Lord for the first time."

"Yes, what's a little suffering in order to secure your place in the future of our world?" Lucius said.

"I'm willing to do anything necessary in order to secure my place, you know that, Lucius," Severus said, not really meaning the words as much as he had before.

"I am aware and, when I conveyed your willingness to do whatever it took to the Dark Lord himself, he was most pleased."

Before Severus could respond, Hermione came around the corner. 

"Severus, are you-" she cut off, stopping short. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were talking to someone. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't interrupt. We were just finishing up," Severus said.

"And who may you be? I don't believe I remember you from my Hogwarts days," Lucius asked.

"You wouldn't, I'm a transfer," Hermione said. "I'm Hermione, and you are?"

"Lucius Malfoy, pleasure is all mine," he reached out to shake her hand, but she was loaded down with about a dozen books.

She looked over at Severus, ignoring the extended hand. "Are you ready?"

Severus nodded.

"I'm going To go buy these and I’ll meet you at the door," she said and, without a second glance at Lucius, she left the two men to go purchase her books.

"If you're going to join the Dark Lord's ranks, you will need to stop associating with mudbloods, Severus," Lucius said, bringing Severus's attention back to him.

Severus scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Give it up, Severus, you are a fucking terrible liar, always have been. And your new acquaintance there is obviously a muggleborn. And I'm going to tell you this as a friend: if you care about her at all, you will stop associating with her long before you meet with the Dark Lord in December. Because if you don’t, I can guarantee that he will use that Mudblood in some way to confirm your loyalty to the cause, if you know what I mean.” Lucius gave Severus one more sharp look before turning and leaving the aisle. 

Severus stood and watched the empty spot he left behind, finding it difficult to breathe. What in the world was he getting himself into?

ssHG

After leaving the bookstore the pair found themselves in the Three Broomsticks, sipping on butterbeer and eating lunch. Hermione was talking about some essay they had been assigned for them to work on over the weekend, but Severus was having a hard time focusing on what she was saying. Was Lucius right? Would the Dark Lord use Hermione as a test to his loyalty?

He didn’t know much about the Dark Lord and his cause because a lot of it was very secretive and on a needs to know basis. What he knew was what was whispered around the Slytherin Common Room at night and what Lucius had told him over the summer. From what he could tell, the Dark Lord wanted to make the Wizarding World a better place to live in. What that entailed, he wasn’t sure, but he was starting to think that it wasn’t as innocent and amazing as it sounded. 

First, Lucius had cautioned Severus when he expressed interest in joining the cause that he might not be able to, since he wasn’t a pureblood. Now, he was implying that the Dark Lord had an issue with muggleborns. 

He looked across at Hermione, his only friend, and wondered if he would be able to just sever all ties with her beginning immediately. What would happen after that? He would go back to being alone, and she would probably give into the Marauders and join their group. Could he resign himself to returning to a solitary state at school and watching the girl he’s grown more than a little attracted to from afar?

Looking at Hermione talking passionately, her hair beginning to fall around her face and frizz, her eyes glistening in the light of the candles that were burning on the table, he frowned. If he didn’t give her up, the Dark Lord could use her against him. Or worse, make him do something to her. Could he put her in danger? On second thought, should he even still be considering joining the Dark Lord’s cause? He had to admit, it was starting to sound less and less appealing than it did over summer holidays. 

He came out of his thoughts as soon as he realized Hermione wasn’t talking anymore. He glanced at her and she was looking at him with a concerned look on her face. 

“Severus, is everything all right? You’ve been acting weird ever since we left the bookstore. Did Lucius say something to you that has upset you?”

Severus shook his head, looking, really looking at the witch in front of him. What was he thinking that he would be able to give this witch up? She had only been here a few short weeks, and she was able to read him better than any other person on the planet, his own mother included. And in that moment, he told himself that he would not give up his Hermione. He would give up the position the Dark Lord was offering. He didn’t know how he would go about it, but he would. He didn’t need to join a questionable cause to feel special anymore. He had someone right in front of him who already made him feel special.

“No, he didn’t,” Severus answered. “Are you finished? Would you…would you like to go for a walk?”

Hermione smiled. “I would love to.”

The two stood up from the table, and Severus hurried around to get to Hermione’s side. They walked out the door, Severus making sure to open the door for Hermione, and once they were outside, Severus mustered all the courage he had in him, and reached out for Hermione’s hand. When he felt her fingers entwine with his, he smiled, and resolved himself to find a solution on how to turn down the Dark Lord, and still escape with his life.


	9. Chapter 9

Severus sat next to Hermione on the fence overlooking the Shrieking Shack. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about what awaited him during Christmas holidays. How would he get out of becoming a Death Eater? How could he turn down The Dark Lord and still live?

“Earth to Severus,” he heard Hermione saying next to him. He looked up into the concerned face of his date. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You’ve been awfully quiet since we left the Three Broomsticks.”

Severus shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Hermione frowned. “You don’t seem fine. I’m starting to think that Lucius said something to you and that you’re not wanting to talk to me about it. You know you can tell me the truth right?”

Severus’ eyes widened. Of course. She was from the future. She would know Lucius, and possibly his ties to The Dark Lord. She would also know what his own ties to the Dark Lord were. “Yes,” Severus finally answered. “He gave me some…unsettling news. News that before your arrival would have been welcome, but now, not as exciting as I had previously hoped.”

Hermione’s eyes widened in understanding. She lifted her wand, casting a non-verbal silencing spell. “Did it have something to do with He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named?” she whispered, despite the previously cast spell.

Severus wasn’t surprised that she made the leap. Now to try and get some information out of her in a way that makes her think it was her idea.

Severus looked down, schooling his features. “Yes,” he said. “Lucius came to inform me that The Dark Lord wished to meet with me over the Christmas holidays to discuss the possibility of me taking the mark.”

Hermione’s right hand moved instinctively to cover her left forearm. “And did you agree to go?”

Severus nodded. “I didn’t know how to turn it down. Before your arrival, I worked really hard to get invited. But getting to know you, I’m starting to have second thoughts. I think that I’m going to turn The Dark Lord’s offer down.”

“No!” Hermione shouted. “You can’t do that. Severus, he’ll kill you.”

“I know that, but I don’t know how I could live with myself if I joined their ranks and was forced to hurt you.”

Hermione frowned. “Why would you be forced to hurt me specifically?”

“You’re a muggleborn, and it’s no secret how close we are. It’s inevitable that you would be used in any initiation ritual.”

Hermione sighed. “I’m not worth sacrificing your life for, Severus. You need to think about this before you just resign yourself to certain death. There are ways around this!”

“Like what?” Severus asked. 

“Like, we can fake any torture you’re forced to put on me. We could, I don’ t know, run away and hide for the next twenty years. There are solutions to this Severus that don’t involve you telling Lord Voldemort to fuck off!”

Severus’ eyes widened at her use of both The Dark Lord’s name and her expletive. “Hermione, you used His name. I don’t know about where you’re from, but no one uses his name here.”

“Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself,” Hermione replied. 

Severus sighed. “You need to be careful who hears you say things like this. The wrong people could overhear, and I don’t think I can stop anything bad from happening to you.”

“I’m not some helpless damsel, Severus, I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, because the condition in which you found yourself when you arrived in my time demonstrates your capability,” Severus spat back.

Hermione’s eyes widened at Severus’ outburst before narrowing, her eyes a flame with her anger.

“You know very well what put me in the condition that I arrived in, and you know that I put up one hell of a fight,” Hermione growled at Severus, her voice filling with emotion. 

“You’re not aware of all the other times I’ve been faced with certain death and made it out, mostly unscathed. So next time you want to throw something in my face, you better think of something better to accuse me of.”

“Hermione, I’m sorry, but the thought of you being tortured because of me, and possibly by my own hand, makes me ill.”  
Hermione sighed. “Please, Severus, you need to try and not focus on that. It’s not a guarantee. And we can figure out all kinds of different scenarios in order to try and avoid any of this.”

“How? Christmas holidays are just a few months away.”

“We need to stall him. You need to come up with an excuse about why you can’t take the mark at Christmas, but you will take it after graduation.”

“He’ll still torture me. I don’t know Hermione. I’m going to be staying with my parents for the holiday. My father is a Muggle, my mother is not adept at healing spells, if I show back up at home injured, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through.”

“I’ll come home with you,” Hermione said, without hesitation. “I don’t have a home to go to, and staying at Hogwarts without you sounds dreadful. I’ll come home with you, and I’ll be there, waiting for you when you get back. We can figure this out, Sev. I know we can.”

Severus shook his head in amazement. “You are full of surprises, Hermione Granger.”

Hermione smiled. “Is that “You are full of surprises, Hermione Granger.”

Hermione smiled. “Is that a ‘Yes, Hermione, I would love for you to spend Christmas with me and meet my parents’?”

Severus shook his head, “Oh, it’s a yes. I would love to spend Christmas with you, but if I could keep you from meeting my parents, I could. They’re dreadful people. “

“Well, then I’m glad I’ll be there with you. Maybe you’ll have an enjoyable holiday.”

“Oh, I know I’ll have an enjoyable holiday if you’re there. Possibly the best yet.”

“That’s a lot of pressure, and a lot to live up to.”

Severus shook his head again. “Just you being there will make it the best ever. You don’t need to do anything else.”

Hermione blushed. “You’re so sweet, Severus. I’m so glad that you’re the first person that I met when I came here. I think I would be miserable if I had to live here without you.”

Severus looked into Hermione’s eyes, and saw all the sincerity she felt with that one statement, and he couldn’t help himself any longer. He leaned forward, closing the space between them, capturing Hermione’s lips in a kiss, one she didn’t hesitate to return.


	10. Chapter 10

Severus almost couldn't believe that Hermione was kissing him back. He slid closer to her on the fence, bringing a hand up behind her head, lacing his fingers through her curls. He could feel Hermione smile into the kiss and that gave him a bit more courage than he had before. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips, encouraging her to open to him. When she did, he didn't hesitate slipping his tongue in, reveling in the feel of her tongue against his. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck, pulling her closer to him. After a few minutes, they pulled back from each other, resting their foreheads together, their noses nuzzling together. 

"What do we have here?" a voice came from behind him. A voice he would recognize from anywhere. The last voice he wanted to hear at that moment.

"Ignore them," Hermione whispered against his lips, not moving back from him.

Severus kept his eyes closed, willing James Potter and whoever else was with him to just go away.

"It looks like Snivellus is getting handsy with the new girl," Sirius Black piped in.

Hermione groaned and pulled away from Severus, waving her wand to cancel the silencing spell. "What do you want, Black?"

"We were just walking back to the school when we noticed two figures sitting on the fence, snogging, and had to come see for ourselves, because certainly you wouldn't have turned me down for a Snake, and Snivellus at that. But apparently you haven't quite grasped the idea of House Loyalty," Sirius said. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Go away, Sirius."

Sirius ignored her, turning to Severus instead. "You need to keep your hands off of our girls, Snape," Black said.

"Your girls?" Severus asked. "I wasn't aware that you had ownership of every girl in Gryffindor Tower."

"You know what we mean, Snape!" Potter spat out. "You stick with your own kind and stop mooning over Gryffindor girls."

"My own kind?" Snape asked. "What kind would that be?"

"Pureblood zealots," Black spat out. "All you Slytherins are all the same. Blood purity and power. I'm surprised that you're even slumming it with a muggleborn. What would your precious Dark Lord say?"

Severus spun around on the fence and leapt off, drawing his wand, pointing it in Sirius' face. 

"Severus," Hermione said, from behind him. "He's not worth it."

Severus glared at Sirius one more time before lowering his wand, and turning to Hermione, holding out his hand. Hermione took it, and they started to walk away from the Marauders.

"That's it, Snape, walk away like the coward you are," James said.

"When you get tired of fucking snakes, Hermione, feel free to find me. I don't mind sloppy seconds," Sirius said. 

Hermione stopped in her tracks, causing Severus to stop with her. Before Severus could process what was going on, Hermione had dropped his hand, turned around and marched back toward Sirius. Severus turned around just in time to watch Hermione land a right hook across Sirius Black's face.

"Next time you say something like that, or touch me, or give any kind of innuendo toward me, I'm going to McGonnagall and filing a sexual harassment complaint, do you understand?" Hermione bit out. 

Sirius, nodded, while holding his bleeding nose, James Potter looked at Hermione, his jaw dropped.

That was all the reply Hermione needed, she turned around and walked back to where Severus was standing, grabbed his hand, and continued the walk. Severus moved to follow her, struggling to keep up. 

"You just punched Sirius Black in the nose," Severus said once they were out of earshot of the two Marauders. 

Hermione groaned. "I know," she said. "Not my proudest moment. But I was so tired of him hitting on me. He was obviously not getting the message any other way. I'm sorry. It was pretty hypocritical of me to tell you to leave the situation alone and then go back and hit him."

Severus shook his head. "No, I don't find it hypocritical at all. To be honest, it was kind of hot," he said, blushing at his forwardness.

Hermione smiled brightly up at him. "That's good to know," she said. 

They walked the rest of the way to the castle, hand in hand, in silence.

SSHG  
Two days after Hogsmeade found the couple studying in their usual abandoned classroom that they typically used on Monday's after classes were over. Instead of sitting in their usual desks facing each other, however, they were sitting on the floor with their backs pressed against the wall, sitting shoulder to shoulder, sharing a book. Severus had his right arm draped around Hermione's shoulder, and she leaned into him while they completed their reading for Transfiguration. They had managed a system to let the other know when they were ready to turn the page, and they had settled into a comfortable routine. 

Severus still couldn't believe that he for all intents and purposes had a girlfriend, and one that he didn't have to pursue for years and years, at that. In the grand scheme of things, not much had changed in terms of outward appearances. They were already spending all their time together, it's just now, after the kiss, they now walked to their classes holding hands, and apparently they sat on the floor snuggling while doing their homework. Severus bent his head down and pressed his nose into Hermione's hair and inhaled. He could really get used to this. He was pretty sure there was nothing that could be ever as nice as holding a girl in his arms.

Hermione shifted, closing the book in her lap, turning her body a bit until she faced him. She brought her hand up, gently placing it on Severus's cheek. She lifted her head up, closing the gap between them, covering his lips with hers. Severus shifted so that he could wrap his other arm around her as well, pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss. He ran his hands up her back, pulling her close. He could feel her breasts press against his chest, and that's all it took to cause his cock to start to stir. He pressed his eyes tightly shut, and tried to will away his erection, but Hermione took that moment to moan into the kiss, as she pressed herself closer, raking her hands through Severus's hair. Severus returned the groan, and moved so that his lap wouldn't come into contact with Hermione. They lost themselves in the kiss, and Severus was pretty sure if he went to the Dark Lord tomorrow and told him where to shove his offer he could die happy. He moved his hand down Hermione's back to the hem of her shirt. He lifted the hem a bit, and touched his palm to the warm skin he found there. 

Hermione pulled back, breaking the kiss. They sat in each other's arms, trying to catch their breath.

"We should go back to studying," Hermione said, threw her quick breaths. 

Severus nodded, moving away from her and pressing his back against the cool wall, closing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

Severus nodded his head quickly, not opening his eyes. Silently listing all the ingredients in polyjuice potion in his head.

"Oh," Hermione said, quickly picking up on the situation. "Severus, I--"

Severus shook his head. "No need to apologize. This is a totally normal reaction to snogging a beautiful witch. Just give me a second to, um, pull myself together, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course," she said. 

He could hear her flipping through pages of a book. He opened his eyes, and turned his head toward her. He could see the remnants of a blush coloring her neck and her cheeks. She was focusing all of her attention on the book in front of her. Severus reached over, and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. He noticed her shoulders visibly relax, before she squeezed back. After a few minutes they were side by side continuing their Transfiguration reading until it was time to return to their dorms for curfew.


	11. Chapter 11

Severus stood in the hallway, waiting for Hermione to come down the stairs for breakfast. They had been dating for about a month now, and everything was going pretty well. Nothing had really changed, they still took all their meals together outside of the Great Hall, they still did all their studying together, but now there were snogging sessions sprinkled throughout. So far, they hadn't done much more than kiss because whenever things got a little more physical, Hermione pulled back and put the breaks on it. Which was fine with Severus, he didn't really fancy losing his virginity on the stone floor of a classroom. 

He watched as a stream of Gryffindors came flowing down the stairs. He stood on his tiptoes trying to see around them so he could spot Hermione. She was later than she usually was. He watched as Sirius Black and James Potter walked by, Lily Evans on Potter's arm, without even glancing his way. The best part of the last month was that the Marauders had left him alone. Hermione had even mentioned that Black had stopped harassing her. He didn't know what caused them to finally leave them be, Hermione's threat to report him to McGonnagall, or her punching him in the face. 

The stream of students slowed but Hermione still hadn't come down. Severus frowned and he tried to think back to the night before. Was she not feeling well? He didn't notice anything off. She had seemed fine, but that didn’t't mean that she hadn’t come down with something overnight. Maybe he should go ask one of the other Gryffindor girls if she was okay. He was about to turn away from the stairs, when she came around the corner. She wasn't alone though and Severus's frown deepened as he watched her descend the stairs with Remus Lupin. The two were close enough that they could easily touch and they had their heads bent together, talking quietly with one another. Hermione was talking so animatedly that her hands were flying, and Remus was laughing at whatever she was saying. 

Severus felt his chest tighten. Of course. It was inevitable that she would start to make more friends other than him. He tried to stay reasonable; they were only talking. Just as he was calming himself down, Hermione pressed a hand on Lupin's arm and laughed at something he said. That was it. He couldn't hold his anger in anymore. He dropped his and Hermione's breakfast on the ground and the crash echoed through the entranceway. Hermione and Lupin stopped their descent and stared at him.

"Severus?" Hermione asked, concern coloring her face. 

Severus just shook his head, and turned and started walking away, trying to school his features as he stormed through the hallway.

"Severus!" he heard Hermione call behind him, followed by the slapping of the soles of her shoes on the stone floors as she came after him. Still, he didn't turn around. Instead, he picked up speed, his robes billowing around him as he made his way through the hallway, before ducking into a classroom. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. 

He could feel the warm sting of tears springing up in his eyes and he squeezed them shut, willing them to go away, but he could feel the hot, wet trails down his cheeks as the traitorous tears fell. He banged his head back against the door a few times, before sliding down and bringing his knees to his chest, hugging them tightly. He couldn't believe it was happening all over again. Only this time, he let himself get more attached. He really thought Hermione liked him. She let him snog her. Hold her hand. She spent all her time with him. Was she going back to Gryffindor Tower and laughing with the Marauders every night? Was this all an elaborate prank, only for her to break his heart by revealing she was really with Lupin this whole time?

Severus pulled out his wand and blasted one of the chairs in the classroom to bits. Destruction of property didn't help. He still ached and hurt. Would he ever learn? Was he ever meant to be happy?

A knock sounded at the door.

"Severus, I know you're in there," Hermione's voice came from outside the door. "Let me in."

Severus didn't answer. He didn't want to see her. Didn't want her to break his heart to his face. He would rather they just move on, start with the ignoring phase.

"Severus, let me in or I'll blast this bloody door open," Hermione shouted. 

Severus stood up, wiping his cheeks. He opened the door and stepped back into the classroom, turning his back on the door. He heard Hermione come into the room, and shut the door behind her.

"Do you want to explain what that display was all about?" Hermione asked.

Severus just shrugged.

"Severus, my breakfast, that I was quite looking forward to eating by the way, is all over the floor in the entrance way. I don't understand why you dropped it. I would like you to tell me."

"Please just get it over with," Severus said, quietly, trying to hold in his emotions.

"Get what over with?" Hermione asked, confusion in her voice.

"Breaking up with me," Severus said. "I know that's what you followed me for. So just do it so we can both move on."

"Break up with you?" she asked. "Severus, I don't know where this is coming from."

Severus spun around. "I watched you come down the stairs with him," he spat out. "I'm not fucking stupid Hermione. I watched you laugh, and touch. How long have you and fucking Lupin been laughing about me behind my back?"

"What?" Hermione said. "We haven't! Remus was having trouble with the Arithmancy homework and I was helping him before breakfast. We were talking about a prank one of the second years tried to pull on the seventh years this morning as we walked to breakfast this morning. That is all. Why on earth would you think I'm breaking up with you? Because I talked to another bloke? Are you jealous?"

Severus looked down at his feet, feeling like a complete dolt. He was no better than Sirius Black, implying that the witch belonged to him and shouldn't be talking to anyone else. "Hermione, I--"

"No, wait just a second, Severus Snape, because I'm not done," she snapped. "Let me make myself perfectly clear so that we don't have any more incidents like we just had this morning. I am not, nor will I ever be, your possession. I can and will talk to whomever I please. Remus is my friend. My only friend in the Tower mind you, and I don't plan on ending that with him. And while I may be friends with Remus, that doesn't in any way diminish my feelings for you. I like you. I'm dating you. I'm snogging you. But if you throw any more of these tantrums, that may change. What you just pulled makes you no better than Sirius Black."

Severus sighed, trying to hold back the pain the implication that she would break up with him brought to his chest, and the fact that tears immediately sprung to his eyes. "I know, that. I know that, but seeing you with him. He's a fucking Marauder, Hermione. You know what they've done to me for the last seven years. And watching you walk down the stairs with him, laughing, it just made me think that maybe things really haven't changed. The last month has been wonderful, but what if that had been just a ruse. What if this whole time you've been teamed up with them on an elaborate prank to just break my heart?"

Hermione shook her head, and walked up to him, placing her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her. "Severus. I'm sorry that seeing me with Remus caused all of this turmoil. I was insensitive to just walk out there with him knowing your past with him and his friends. I'm not playing a trick on you. I'm not. And now I know why we were brought together. I know what I'm supposed to bring out in you."

"What?" Severus asked, quietly.

Hermione moved forward, and stood on her tiptoes so that their foreheads and noses were touching, and whispered, "Your confidence."


	12. Chapter 12

"You can still change your mind," Severus said, for what had to be the hundredth time. 

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not going to change my mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." 

"The train hasn't even left yet, you can still get off and stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. I'll come back early and--" 

Hermione shook her head and pushed Severus into the empty compartment they had found. She shut the door and put up a locking and silencing ward and closed the curtains. "I'm not going to get off this train. I want to go home with you, now drop it."

Severus sat down on the seat and watched as Hermione sat down right next to him. "Fine, I'll drop it. But if you get to my house and meet my parents, I'll understand if you apparate out right then and there."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and didn't even answer. She wrapped her arms around Severus and pulled him toward her, placing a kiss on his neck. Severus smiled and relaxed into her, turning in his seat, and wrapping his hand in her hair pulling her up towards him. He captured her mouth with a searing kiss. He didn't hesitate when he felt Hermione's tongue ask for entrance, opening his mouth to let her in. He reveled in the feel of her warm tongue against his. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling their bodies closer together. He felt her breasts press agaist his chest and just like during every snogging session, he felt his cock immediately leap to attention. He tried to shift so Hermione wouldn't feel it, but Hermione did something she had never done before. She turned her body and threw her leg over him, and settled herself firmly on his lap. They both let out a moan as her center settled against his hardness. 

Severus broke off the kiss. "Hermione?"

She smiled, hesitantly. "Is this okay?"

Severus nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, more than okay. Are you sure you're okay with this? You always stop us when we get even remotely close to anything like this."

"Yeah, because I don't want to get caught by Filch or a professor with your hand up my jumper in the middle of an abandoned classroom," she answered.

"But now?"

"We're in a warded train compartment, alone," she said.

"Good enough for me," Severus said, leaning back in and capturing her lips again. He let his hands move down her back until he came in contact with the hem of her jumper, he moved his hands under, running them along her smooth warm skin. 

Hermione moaned and moved her hands through his hair. Severus moved his lips from her lips and trailed them down her neck. He moved his hand around her front to cup her breast. Hermione responded by grinding her hips against his.

"Oh god," Severus moaned out, breathing heavily. 

"Mmm," Hermione responded, pressing her hips against him again. 

Severus closed his eyes, and tried to will himself to not cum right then and there. He breathed in a few more times and then focused on Hermione. He massaged the breast in his hand through her bra, reveling in the sounds Hermione was making, his chest swelling in pride that he was the one causing her to make those sounds. Hermione pushed him back for a second, bringing her hands down to the hem of her jumper, and lifting it up and over her head. Severus couldn't help but to stare at her, as she reached behind her and unhooked her bra, removing that as well. Severus looked at what he could only describe as the embodiment of perfection before ducking his head and taking one of those perfect, pink nipples into his mouth. 

Hermione moaned and bucked her hips against his again. Severus wrapped his arms around her, running his hands down her spine before settling them on her hips. He gripped her hips hard and helped her as she grinded against him. He was overwhelmed with the feelings coursing through him as she moved against him. There may have been many layers between them, but it still felt amazing. Severus wanted to make sure he brought Hermione just as much pleasure she was bringing him, so he focused on her breasts and as he alternated between them he could hear her chanting his name over and over again, so he figured he was doing something right. He moved one of his hands to the front of her denims and managed to get them unbuttoned. He shoved his hand down the waistband and found her wet and wanting. He moved his hand, rubbing her through her soaking wet panties, and he felt Hermione stiffen in his arms and cry out. He continued rubbing her and sucking her tits, while erratically bucking against his girlfriend as he felt himself get closer and closer to the edge. He felt Hermione shift, and felt her hand snake between them, working his fly. He felt her reach into his pants and wrap her hand around his cock. All it took was a couple pumps from her small hand before he felt himself spilling into it. He let out a groan, and dropped his head to her shoulder as he felt his cock twitch in her hand. 

He felt Hermione move her hand from his pants and wrap them around his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He could feel her pulse beating just as erratically as his as they tried to catch their breath.

"Wow," Hermione whispered against his shoulder. "Why the hell weren't we doing that sooner?" 

Severus shook his head. "Something about Filch and classroom floors, or some rubbish like that."

"I take it back. We need to do that more often. Fuck Filch."

Severus chuckled. "I don't think I've heard you have such a disregard for authority for."

Hermione laughed. "I know. It felt really wrong saying that, and I immediately regretted it."

Severus placed a kiss on her bare shoulder. "There's the Hermione I know and love."

Hermione stiffened, and Severus silently cursed himself. He didn't know how he had let that slip out, but there it was, it was out in the open. "I love you," he whispered against her, keeping his head hidden in her shoulder. "And I'm not saying that because of what we just did. I've known I've felt this way for quite a while. And well, you don't have to say it back, I'll understand if you--"

He was cut off by Hermione moving his head from her shoulder, and planting a soft kiss on his lips. She moved back and gaze into his eyes with a soft smile. "I love you, too."

Severus broke into wide grin, and brought Hermione in for a tight hug. Going home to his parents and the inevitable meeting with The Dark Lord may have cast a dark cloud over his holiday but knowing that this witch he held in his arms, who knew his future, whatever that was, loved him, shone a ray of sunlight into the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

As the train pulled into King's Cross, Hermione and Severus concentrated on fixing their clothes and gathering their items. They spent the rest of the train ride alternating between snogging and reading. Severus could almost forget that he was heading home to his alcoholic father and neglectful mother. As the train came to a stop, Hermione canceled all the wards on the compartment and he took her hand, leading her out of the compartment and off the train. When they emerged onto Platform 9, he glanced around and noticed that, once again neither of his parents were there to pick him up. He watched as Lily was greeted by her parents and then lead the their car. Severus sighed. 

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. "Where are your parents?"

"Not here." He said. "It looks like they forgot to come and get me."

"Does that happen often?"

"Almost every time I come home."

"What do you do? How do you get home?"

"Well, I used to get a ride with the Evans', since they live in my neighborhood, but then last year I came of age and got my apparition license. However, I haven't side alonged with anyone before, I'm worried that I may splinch you."

Hermione shook her head. "You won't splinch me. I trust you." She stepped closer to him, making sure her bag was secured on her shoulder, and wrapped her hands around his arm. 

Severus closed his eyes, focusing on the front stoop of his home, and turned on the spot. He felt the pull of apparition, and when he opened his eyes, they were standing in front of his closed front door. He looked at Hermione, and she smiled up at him. They were both in one piece. 

"Not bad for your first side-along!" Hermione said. 

"Before we go inside, you still have time to change your mind," Severus said.

"You keep saying that. Do you not want me to meet your parents? Are you ashamed to be bringing home a muggleborn?"

Severus shook his head. "God, no. I don't want you to meet my parents because they're fucking awful. My father, he's a muggle. A fucking drunk. My mum's a pureblood witch, who has pretty much forgotten how to practice magic, since my father has forbidden it in the house. When he gets drunk he beats the shit out of mum and me. There's a reason why I usually stay at Hogwarts during breaks."

"Oh, Severus," Hermione said.

"Please don't feel sorry for me. Hogwarts is almost over, and I'll be able to move out and get my own place and never look back. Just promise me that you'll be careful around my dad? I don't want you to get hurt."

Hermione nodded. "Of course."

"Great. Shall we?" 

Hermione nodded.

Severus turned to the door and turned the knob. As usual it was unlocked, and he let Hermione inside. Once they had crossed the threshold, he shut the door and was immediately regretting bringing her home with him. The house looked even worse than it did when he had left after summer break. It was dark, and dank; he couldn't identify the smell, but whatever it was, it was horrid. In the dark, he could tell that every surface was covered in dust. He looked around the room, and noticed it was empty. He reached out, and took Hermione's hand, and led her up the stairs. As they passed the shut door of his parent's room, he could hear the grunts of his father, and the soft sobs of his mom in tandem of the bedsprings. He walked quicker down the hall, pulling Hermione behind him until they reached his closed and warded door. He waved his wand, and pushed the door open, dragging Hermione inside before slamming the door and warding it again.

He turned around and looked at Hermione. She was looking at him with sadness in her eyes. "Severus,"

He shook his head. "Please don't pity me, Hermione. It is what it is. We just need to make it through the next two weeks, and then we can go back to Hogwarts. Unless, you want to go back now, which I'll completely understand after you having seen the squalor in which I call home."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not leaving you here alone. I'll stick it out. We'll get through this together." She turned and looked around the room. It wasn't much, he had a twin bed, a small night table, and a couple book shelves filled to capacity with books. He had a couple items that he considered valuable, some rare books gifted to him from some Lucius Malfoy, in order to start grooming him to run in the same circles as him when he graduated, and a couple trinkets that Lily bought him over the years. That was why he kept his room locked and warded while he was gone; he was worried what little he had of value would be missing when he returned, pawned for booze money.

Severus reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, looking at his feet. "You can stay in here, and I can take the couch."

"Or we can both stay here," Hermione said.

He looked up to see her looking at him. "Are you sure? I wasn't sure if you would want to share or--"

"I'm not letting you sleep on that lumpy possibly piss smelling couch," Hermione said. "And I do not want to sleep alone in this house. I haven't even met your father yet, but I'm already terrified of him. We can share. We can make that bed work."

Severus tensed up when she mentioned his father. "Hermione, promise me you'll try not to be alone with my father at any time we're here."

"Done," she said.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief. "C'mon, let's go down and see if there's any food in this hellhole, and if there's not we can head to the corner store and stock up."

He unwarded the door and took Hermione's hand. He shut and rewarded his door and started leading her down the hallway back to the stairs but, just as they were passing it, his parent’s door opened and his father stepped out, tucking his shirt back into his trousers as he redid his fly. He looked up and noticed Severus there, and smirked.

"Severus," he said.

"Tobias," Severus replied.

"Is it Christmas hols already? It feels like yesterday we just got rid of your sorry ass. I'm surprised to see you even here; usually you don't come leech off of us until school breaks for the summer."

"I decided to come home this year," Severus replied. 

Tobias looked past him, and caught sight of Hermione. "What do we have here? Bringing guests into our home? Without permission?"

"I didn't think I needed permission. She didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday. Don't worry we won't bother you. You won't even know we're here."

Tobias grinned and chuckled. Severus could smell the alcohol from where he was standing. "Oh, I wouldn't mind if she bothered me a little bit. Maybe showed me her titties as payment for staying under my roof. If she let me fuck her, I'll even let her eat our food. I bet her pussy is nice and tight," Tobias said, raking his eyes up and down Hermione's form. 

Severus saw Hermione stand up straighter before moving closer to him, gripping his hand even tighter. "That's okay, Mister Snape," she said, sounding every bit the confident woman he was in love with, causing him to love her even more. "I have money. I'll pay you for room and board, if that's what you require for me to stay here."

Tobias laughed again. "Call me Tobias, love, and keep your money. I'm sure we can come to an arrangement, it's going to be a long couple weeks. And Christmas is around the corner. Maybe for Christmas I can take you on a ride on a real cock, and not the sorry excuse that this bastard is packing."

Severus felt himself grow red. Hermione was gripping his hand even harder. "Where's mum?" he asked loudly, trying to change the subject and distract his father from his girlfriend, and his girlfriend from hexing his father. 

"Sleeping it off. She has had a rough day," Tobias answered. "Don't bother her. I'm heading out to the pub. Want to come, sweet tits?"

Severus could feel Hermione shake her head. "No thank you," she said tersely.

"Fine by me. Severus make yourself useful, go get some food for this hell hole, yeah? Your mum has been a lazy bitch lately and we're practically starving." He didn't even wait for a reply before turning and descending the stairs and walking out the door.

"Severus?" Hermione asked from beside him.

"Yeah?"

"Will you guard the door when I have to use the loo or shower?" she asked. 

"With my life."


	14. Chapter 14

Severus and Hermione spent the remaining part of the day walking down to the corner store and purchasing food for the next few days and returning to the house. Severus put the groceries away and Hermione cast a few cleansing charms around the kitchen and the living room. Just those few charms really made the difference. The smell was already fading, and it didn't look like you would catch a disease if you sat anywhere in the living room. They sat and read for an hour, trying to get a head start on their homework that was assigned over break. They ate a small dinner, and then headed up the stairs.

"Do you mind if I took a quick shower?" Hermione asked him as they approached his room.

Severus shook his head. "Not at all. I'll wait outside the door for you to finish, to make sure no one bothers you."

Hermione smiled at him, and ducked into the room and came out with her bag. As she passed him she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "My knight in shining armor," she joked.

Severus shook his head. "Just don't take too long, my arse will go numb sitting on this thin carpet too long."

Hermione laughed, and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Once the door was shut, Severus slid to the ground and rested his back on it. He heard the water turn on, and he tried really hard to not think of the fact that his girlfriend was naked behind that door. Instead he turned his attention to the closed door to his parent's room. His mum still hadn't emerged from the room, and that had him worried. Usually when Tobias said she was sleeping one off, she would be down within an hour or two, acting like everything was fine. "Sleeping one off" was Tobias' polite way of saying he fucked her, hit her a few times, and then fed her some kind of pill to help her sleep off the pain he caused her. What if this time he gave her too much? What if this time, he beat her so hard she didn't wake up? Panic seized in Severus' chest, and he moved to stand up to check on her, but the door to the room opened slowly, and the thin form of Eileen Snape slipped out into the hallway. 

She looked worse than when Severus had seen her over summer holidays. She looked frail, as if she could blow away with a strong gust of wind. Her face was covered in bruises, and her hair was matted.

"Mum?" Severus said, quietly, trying to not startle her.

Eileen spun around, placing a hand over her chest. "Severus! You startled me! I didn't know you were coming home for Christmas Hols! Why didn't you write me?"

"Because Tobias would never have allowed the owl to deliver it," Severus said. 

Eileen just nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're home. I can't remember the last time we spent Christmas as a family." She looked curiously at the closed bathroom door. "Who's in there?"

"My girlfriend," Severus said. "Hermione. I brought her home with me. She has no family. I couldn't let her spend Christmas alone."

"So you brought her here?" His mum asked. "Severus, Tobias--"

"Has already seen her," Severus said. "That's why I'm out here. I'm not going to let him hurt her."

Eileen shook her head. "I don't know why you thought it would be a good idea to bring her home. You're just going to get upset."

Severus looked at his mum, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"When Tobias shags her, you're just going to get your feelings hurt. You shouldn't have brought her here. I don't need her flaunting her young body around tempting my husband."

Severus's mouth dropped open in shock. "Mum, I'm confused. Tobias isn't going shag her. And Hermione isn't flaunting anything. I don't know what you're on about."

"Your father can't resist a young cunt to stick his prick into," Eileen said. "And you brought one into our home. How can I compete with that?"

Severus shook his head, confused. He really didn't know what his mom was on about. Before he could question her again, the bathroom door opened and Hermione emerged, her hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head, she was wearing a t-shirt and sleep pants. 

"Oh, god," his mum cried out. "Her tits are so perky!" She pressed her hand to her chest, and began to breathe heavily, as if she were hyperventilating. "Severus how could you do this to me?"

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

Severus shook his head. "I don't know. I think my mum's jealous of you?"

Hermione turned to Eileen. "Mrs. Snape? Are you okay?"

Eileen shook her head. "You need to leave."

"What?" she asked.

"Mum, she's not leaving," Severus said.

"Like hell she isn't. I'm not having some tart staying under this roof, it's hard enough to keep your father from straying, I don't need you parading her throughout the house!"

"She's not leaving," Severus shouted. "I think you need to go lie down and sleep off whatever the hell he gave you."

Eileen brought her hand to her head, and swayed on her feet a bit. "Yes, I think you're right." And without another word, she turned and went back into her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

Hermione turned to Severus, but he shook his head taking her hand, and lead her into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Severus barely had time to turn around from the door before his arms were full of witch. 

"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered into his shoulder.

Severus was confused. "Why are you apologizing to me? I should be apologizing to you. Since you've been here you've had my father say that he wants to fuck you, willing or not, and my mother accuse you of encouraging my father to fuck you. I should be the one apologizing to you. I should have insisted that you stay behind. That you not come here."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm apologizing because not only have you had a shit time at school because of the Marauders, you've had a shit time at home because of your parents. It's no wonder that--" Hermione cut herself off. 

Severus pulled back. "It's no wonder what?"

Hermione sighed. "It's no wonder that you grew into the man I knew in my time."

Severus stopped breathing. This was the first time that Hermione had brought up his future self in conversation. He didn't dare move, he took a deep breath and tried to not seem excited. "And what kind of man was that?"

Hermione didn't talk for a long time. When she did, he had to strain to hear her. "Cold. Aloof. Cruel. Lonely."

Severus closed his eyes. The words she used to describe him twenty years from now, stabbed him in the gut. The words she used to describe him were words that he would use to describe his father. Which meant his worst fears would come true. Despite everything in his power to avoid it, he would become his father.


	15. Chapter 15

"Severus?" Hermione asked. "Are you okay?"

 

Severus shook his head.

 

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything. I've been so careful to not reveal any of your future to you and then I blow it."

 

"No," Severus said. "It's okay, it's better for me to know what I've turned into now, I suppose. I just can't imagine what would cause me to turn into my father."

 

Hermione pulled away from him. "What? I never said you turned into your father."

 

"All of the words you used to describe future me, I would use to describe my father."

 

"I wouldn't use those words to describe your father. Cruel maybe, but other words I would choose would be drunkard, abuser, lascivious, asshole. Did I use any of those words to describe you?"

 

"Cruel."

 

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, you are...were...will be cruel. Would you like to know exactly how you are cruel? Will that make you feel better?"

 

Severus shrugged his shoulders.

 

"Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.  In the future, you're one of my professors at Hogwarts, I won’t tell you which. And ever since the first day of first year, you have purposely ignored my hand whenever I raise it to answer a question. You grade me down, on purpose, for utterly minor reasons. One year you called me an 'insufferable little know it all.' In fourth year, another student threw a curse at me that caused my teeth to grow enormous, when I turned to you for help, you said, and I quote, 'I don't notice a difference.' Those are the ways future you is cruel. And you're only cruel to Gryffindors.  So please, don't think you turn into whatever the hell your father is, because you don't."

 

Seerus pushed Hermione away and walked over to his bed. "If I'm so cruel to you in the future, why are you with me now? Why did you befriend me right away, knowing who I was?"

 

Hermione shrugged. "Because that's not who you are _now,"_ she explained. Right now you're shy, and sweet, insecure. And incredibly smart. You're not that person, and maybe now that I'm here, you won't be."

 

Severus looked up at her from where he sat on the bed. "Do you really think that your future isn't going to come to pass? That you being here somehow changed it?"

 

Hermione shrugged again, shifting on her feet. "I don't know. Everything I've been reading is contradictory. Some texts say that time is a loop, and everything that has been will be, which implies that I've always meant to travel back here, and that our future is tied to the fact that I had some influence here. Others say that time can be rewritten, that my timeline that I'm from is on one line, and me coming back here created another timeline all together, and if I were to try and get back to my time, it wouldn't be my original timeline. It's all very complicated."

 

Severus leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees. "If time is a loop, and you were always meant to come here and we were always meant to date, does that mean something happens to you between now and then?"

 

Hermione stepped toward him, setting beside him on the bed. "What makes you think that?"

 

"Right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been. You make me happy. I'm in love with you. I can't imagine my life ever being terrible as long as you're beside me. But in the future you described me as cruel and mean-spirited, especially to Gryffindors, specifically to you.  Do you think that when I turn down Voldemort and refuse to take his Mark, that he takes it out on you? That he kills you? And that's why I become cruel and lonely?"

 

Hermione put her arm around his shoulder. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know what becomes of me. Maybe time isn't a loop and our future is unknown. We have no way of knowing.  But you can't focus on any of that. You can't let any of this get in your head. We need to live as if time is infinite and unknown."

 

Severus scoffed, "We're in the middle of a war, Hermione, time is definitely not infinite."

 

"Well, unknown then. It's a big reason why I've stopped my research on how to go home. Not knowing if the home I'm trying to get to is really the home I left."

 

Severus turned on his bed to face her. "You've stopped your research?"

 

Hermione nodded. "Yes, once I realized that one, I don't have any idea how I even got sent back in the first place, and two, the future I'm trying to get to has a large chance to not even be my future, I stopped. Plus, I have a really good reason to stay here."

 

Severus smiled, and felt his cheeks redden. "Yeah, and what reason is that?"

 

Hermione didn't answer, she just shifted herself until she was straddling his lap. Severus swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat as he felt her warm center radiate through her thinner sleep pants against his rapidly hardening cock.  Hermione didn't hesitate as she crossed her arms in front of her, lifting her shirt up and off. Severus didn't hesitate bending his head down and capturing a nipple in his mouth. Hermione moaned and grinded her hips into him, rubbing herself on his hardness before pulling back and grabbing the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head and tossing it somewhere in his room before leaning back in and capturing his lips in a searing kiss, as she continued to grind against him. And even though he was wearing jeans, he had to admit it felt wonderful. But there was something he wanted to try out. He slipped his hands under Hermione's arse and stood from the bed, before turning and laying her down on it.

 

He brought his hands up to the waistband of her sleep pants, and then looked up at her, asking for permission. She nodded and he slipped her pants off, groaning when he noticed she wasn't wearing anything under. He sat back on his heels and took a second to admire the gorgeous, naked woman, spread out on his bed. He moved his body on top of hers, recapturing her lips, pressing his hardness into her center.

 

"Oh, god, Severus," Hermione moaned as she met each of his thrusts.

 

Severus brought his hand up, cupping her breast, not even pausing with his thrusts. Hermione's breathing sped up, and her moaning increased. He reached into his back pocket and cast a silencing charm. He didn't want to take the chance that his father was standing outside his room getting off to them. He set the wand on his night table, and trailed his hand down her side and made contact with her warm center. Severus moaned when he felt how wet she was. He did this. He was the cause of her feeling as good as she was. Severus felt his ego swell and his confidence soar, as he slipped a finger inside of her.

 

He looked up at her, and Hermione winced for a second before relaxing again. He began to pump his finger in and out of her, and started trailing kisses down her body, pausing to give attention to each nipple, until he had slid himself down until his mouth was even with her center. He slipped his tongue out and ran it up her slit, groaning at the taste. He had never tasted anything so wonderful. He dove in, working his tongue over her clit as he continued to pump his finger inside. Hermione was almost screaming as she bucked against his hand and mouth. He could feel her sides fluttering against his finger, so he added another and sucked her clit into his mouth.

 

“Oh, fuck!” Hermione screamed as she came. Severus didn’t let up, he continued to pleasure her, as he essentially fucked the bed. He let out a groan when he came in his denims. He pulled away from Hermione and crawled up the bed until they were next to each other. He fell onto his back, breathing heavily. He turned his head, and looked over at Hermione. She was wonderfully flushed, and her perfect breasts were bouncing as she tried to catch her breath.

 

“Oh my god, Severus,” Hermione moaned next to him.

 

“I take it you liked that?” he asked, with a smirk on his face.

 

“Liked would be a gross understatement,” she said, turning to look to him. “If you want, I can reciprocate.”

 

Severus shook his head. “Embarrassingly, I’ve already spent myself in my denims. But I’ll take a raincheck.”

 

Hermione gave him a tired smile. “Deal.”

 

She let out a little shiver, so Severus reached down and pulled the rumpled covers up and over them, turning to spoon into her. She sighed against him, and he wrapped his arms tight around her. He pressed a kiss against her shoulder, and laid there listening to her breathing as it evened out and she fell asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

The next couple days passed without incident. Severus and Hermione mainly kept to his room, unless they needed food or to use the restroom. And then they always went in pairs. They managed to avoid his parents for the most part. Eileen rarely came out of her own room, and Tobias was either at work or the pub. The house was eerily quiet, but Severus really didn't want to take the chance that Hermione would interact with either of his parents. 

He was actually a little worried about his mum. Every time he walked past her room, he would stop and stare at her door and wonder what had happened since he had left. What was Tobias giving her? She was never as aggressive as he saw her that first evening he was home. Usually she was meek, kept to herself, and doted on him. Severus and Hermione were spending a rare afternoon in the living room, reading. He was reading a potions text, and she was reading some muggle novel she said was her favorite and she always read it around the holidays. Severus was having a hard time concentrating on his book. He kept looking up the stairs, waiting for his mum to come down. Tobias was at work, and he would be stopping at the pub after, which was typical of his schedule. He looked back at Hermione and weighed his options. 

"Go ahead," Hermione said, not even looking up from her book. "I can take care of myself if he comes back."

"What?"

"Go ahead and go up and check on your mum. I'll be fine. Your father usually doesn't come banging in until late. I'll be fine here."

Severus smiled at her, and set his book down. He leaned over and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you."

Hermione looked at him. "No need to thank me. If it were my mum, I would be worried too."

Severus stood up and headed toward the stairs, looking back over his shoulder one last time at Hermione, who was already back to reading her book. He ascended the stairs and paused at his parents' door. He took a deep breath, and turned the handle, pushing the door open a crack. He stuck his head in.

"Mum?"

"Sev?" his mum said, her voice so weak he had to struggle to hear her. 

"Yeah, it's me."

"Come in, love," she said. 

Severus pushed the door open the rest of the way, and entered, shutting the door behind him. The room was pitch black for it still being early enough that it was still light out. He pulled out his wand. "Lumos," he muttered, and the room illuminated. He looked over at the bed, and his mum was laying in the bed, the sheets pulled up to her chin, but he could tell she wasn't wearing anything under them. Her hair was matted down, her eyes sunken in, and the room smelled of shit, piss and vomit. He had to close his eyes to stop the tears that sprung to his eyes from falling. He clenched his fist around his wand. He wanted to go find Tobias and curse him. Curse him for everything he did to his mum. Instead, he muttered a cleansing charm. 

"Severus you shouldn't have done that. Tobias will know that you used magic in his house," his mum said, her voice trembling in fear. 

"Yeah, well, let him do something about it then. Give me an excuse to curse his fucking ass for doing this to you."

"Severus," his mum started.

"When was the last time you left this room? When's the last time you had a decent meal? What is he doing to you?"

"He's not doing anything to me," Eileen said. "I'm sick, Severus. I don't know what's wrong with me. The muggle doctor doesn't know what it is either, and he told me to rest. So that's what I've been doing. Your father has been doing his best to take care of me, giving me the medicine the doctor prescribed, but I don't think I'm going to be around much longer."

Severus shook his head. "Taking care of you? Coming up here and using you as a punching bag and fucking you, that's taking care of you? He's giving you more than whatever the fuck the doctor prescribes to you, or else you wouldn't have been so rude to Hermione when you met her!"

Eileen sighed. "I'm in a lot of pain, Severus, and so your father supplements my prescriptions with something a little stronger for my pain, that's all. And sometimes it messes with my head. Makes me think things that aren't there. I'm sorry I was rude to your friend. Is it serious between you?"

Severus sighed, and tried to put the fact that she completely sidestepped the fact that his dad was abusing her in her weakened state. "Yeah," he said. "I love her."

Eileen smiled. "Good," she said. "I've been worrying what's to become of you once I pass. You can't come back here, Sev. Your father won't be as kind to you once I'm gone. You'll need to find somewhere to go. And it makes me happy to know that you've found someone who would probably put up with you so you aren't on the streets."

Severus winced at her harsh choice of words. "I'll come back for my stuff, and I won't look back."

"Good. Promise me you won't kill Tobias."

Severus scoffed. "I can't promise that. What if he's the reason you're dead?"

Eileen shook her head. "I told you, I'm sick."

Severus shook his head. "I don't believe it, not really. I'm sure you are sick, but I think Tobias has caused all of this. I think he's the reason you're sick. If it weren't for him you would still be strong, you would still be practicing magic!"

"That is enough," his mum said, her voice stronger than it had been. "The only regret I have of the life I've led, is exposing you, my one good thing, to your father. You shouldn't have had to grow up witnessing your father take his anger out on me. You deserved better than that. But what could I do?" She paused, closing her eyes as tears ran their way down her cheeks. After a minute she opened her eyes, focusing her gaze on Severus. "I love him. Nothing he does to me will change that. We had a deal, he couldn't lay a finger on you, but he could do whatever the hell he wanted to me. Everything I've done, everything I've allowed to happen, everything in my life, I've done for you, Sev. My beautiful, wonderful boy. Why can't you see that?"

Severus closed his eyes, emotion running rampant inside of him. He opened his eyes, and returned Eileen's gaze. "You may have made him a deal, but he sure as fuck didn't follow it," Severus bit out. 

Eileen looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Severus set his wand down on the side table, and pulled his shirt up over his head and turned around. He was surprised Hermione didn't notice last night, the scars that lined his back from the beatings his dad gave him with his belt buckle. 

"Oh, god," Eileen gasped out.

Severus put his shirt back on, and turned back around. "Everything you've allowed to happen in your life, it was for nothing," Severus bit out, unable to control the sobs. "You've allowed him to beat you, rape you, starve you, for nothing. All of my life, after he'd finished with you, he'd come for me. I counted the days until my Hogwarts letter came, and until I could get on that train. You want to know why I never come home for holidays? Because I can't bear to just sit back and watch him hurt you, and I was worried what I would do when he came after me."

Eileen started crying. "I'm so sorry, Severus. I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of this to happen to you. You were supposed to be safe."

"You were supposed to protect me!" Severus yelled. "It's your job, as my mum, to protect me from shit like what Tobias did! But you didn't! You didn't do anything! You just let it happen!"

"You don't understand!" Eileen cried out. "I was powerless!"

"You're a fucking witch!" Severus yelled. "You could have done something! That's what magic is for! You wouldn't have even gotten in trouble for using it on a muggle because it for defense!"

"And if I had then what? Where would I have gone? I had no one! I was disowned for marrying a muggle. If I had shown up, with you in tow, I would have either been turned away, or I never would have heard the end of it. I couldn't do that. I made my choice, and I had to live with it."

Severus shook his head, and let out a chuckle. "You have an excuse for everything. You truly believe that everything that happened to us for the last seventeen years was the best possible outcome."

"Well, what do you want me to say, Severus? Tell me what you want me to say, and I'll say it, if it will make you feel better."

Severus opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a crash from downstairs, followed by Hermione's scream. He grabbed his wand from the bedside table and ran down the stairs just in time to see Tobias on top of Hermione on the couch, one hand holding hers above her hand, while the other was on his cock, jerking it off.

"Oh yeah," Tobias said, as he pumped his cock over Hermione. "Just give me a minute to get ready, and I'm going to give you the best fucking ride of your life."

Severus didn't stop to think, he pointed his wand, "Stupefy!" he shouted, Tobias slumped over on Hermione, giving her the opportunity to shove him off of her, and race over to where Severus was standing. She threw her arms around him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"Are you okay? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. You came just as he was starting. I didn't even hear him come in! He was just there! And my wand wasn't within reach. The next thing I know he's on top of me, and his cock was out, and then you were there."

Severus ran his hand down her back. "I'm so glad you're okay. Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Hermione nodded.

Severus flicked his wand, summoning their coats, and once they were on, the two of them walked out the door, without a destination in mind.


	17. Chapter 17

Severus and Hermione walked some ways down the road before they even started talking to each other.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Severus asked her.

Hermione nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little shaken up. I'm sure I could have solved the situation on my own but I'm really appreciative of you coming in to help."

"I'm so sorry," Severus said. "I shouldn't have left you alone. I should have anticipated he would come back, and insisted that you go back up to my room."

Hermione shook her head. "You couldn't have anticipated that. No one could. And it's not your fault it's his. He shouldn't just assume that if there's a pretty girl in his house he gets to stick his prick in it. I should have hexed his balls off, which I would have done if I had my wand on me. I've become sloppy. I need to remember we're in a war, and I should have my wand with me at all times."

Severus was quiet. She was right, it wasn't his fault. His dad was an ass and stuck his, well everything, where it didn't belong. But the fact that he just assaulted his girlfriend was the last straw. "When we get back to the house, I'm going to kill that bastard."

Hermione stopped, causing him to stop as well. "Severus, you can't."

"Why not. You should have seen what he's done to my mum. She's dying Hermione and I'm convinced that it was his doing. It's his fault that she can't do any more magic. It's his fault that she's wasting away in a dark bedroom. His fault that I have trust issues and flinch whenever someone moves at me too fast. And he tried to rape you, Hermione. I'm done. He's hurt too many people."

"Yes, he's done some heinous things, and he deserves to pay, but you can't kill him. Do you know what happens to a person when they kill?"

Severus shook his head. 

"Their soul splits a part, and they are never the same."

Severus frowned. "How do you know this?"

"I've done a lot of research about this in my time," she replied. "And it doesn't matter how I know this, I do and now you do. You need to promise me you won't kill anyone, Sev. At least with ill intent. I don't think I can handle it knowing that your beautiful, wonderful soul is torn apart and tainted with evil."

Severus swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then what do you suppose I do? We're stuck in that house with that bastard through the rest of the holiday. What if he tries to fuck you again?"

"I'll be ready for him. Like I said, I've been sloppy. I will start keeping my wand on my person at all times, just in case I need it. And the second he puts his hands on me, he'll learn a lesson about what happens when he sticks his prick where it doesn't belong."

Severus couldn't help but smile. "Well, then, part of me hopes he tries something again. That's a lesson he deserves to learn."

He picked her hand back up and they started walking again.

"Is your mom really dying?" Hermione asked, quietly.

Severus nodded. "Yeah, that's what she says. She says the Muggle doctors don't know what's wrong and of course Tobias won't take her to a Wizarding Doctor. She was given some medicine, but she says it's not enough for the pain, so Tobias gives her something for that. I'm afraid it might be Muggle narcotics. Hermione, you should have seen her. She's so pale and weak. The room smelled like piss and shit, so I don't think she gets out of bed to use the facilities. She's living in her own filth, and Tobias," he paused, trying to reign in his emotions. "Tobias has the nerve to go in there every night and fuck her and beat on her and one of these days, I think that's what will ultimately kill her."

"Oh Severus," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around his, laying her head on his shoulder as they walked. "Do you think maybe her illness is because she's spent so long without practicing her magic?"

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked.

"I read somewhere that witches and wizards who don't practice magic for a time, it's almost like muggle cancer. It festers inside and grows as a sickness, killing the witch or wizard. That may be why the muggle doctors don't know what's wrong with her; it could be magical in origin."

"Is there a cure?" Severus asked. "If we were to take her to St. Mungo's, would they be able to fix her?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe? If anything they would be able to make her comfortable, get her off of whatever the hell Tobias is feeding her."

He sighed. "There's no point in even speculating. We would never get her to go with us, willingly. You know what she told me? She said that she's accepted her lot in life and that she has no regrets. That everything she's done was for me. Turns out she thought she had made a deal with the bastard that he could do whatever the hell he wanted to her, as long as he kept his hands off of me," he laughed bitterly. "She had no idea what he had done to me over the years."

"What did he do to you?" she asked quietly.

"Beat the shit out of me anytime I looked at him wrong. He would make me take my shirt off and turn and face a wall, and he would take his belt and lash me across my back. He would make sure that I would get hit with the buckle, leave me alone to try and stop the bleeding by myself. Said if I went to mum, next time he would make sure I wouldn't be able to."

"How old were you?"

"The first time it happened, I was four."

Hermione gasped, and he felt her bring her hand up to wipe at her face. "Forget what I said. That bastard deserves to suffer. I dare him to come at me again, I'll hex him so bad, he'll wish all I did was take his balls."

"Hermione," Severus started.

"No, don't. It's so unfair that this happened to you. All of that suffering. And then you go to Hogwarts and those fucking Marauders choose you to pick on. So you head to school thinking you're getting out of an abusive situation, onto a better existence, and you walk right into another. How have you survived?"

"Lily," Severus said. "We met when we were quite young. She was over in the park with her sister, and she was performing some accidental magic and her sister was calling her a freak. When her sister left, I stepped in and showed her my magic. We were instant friends. She was my light in the darkness. She was the one good thing in my life, and I looked forward to going to Hogwarts together. When she was sorted Gryffindor and I Slytherin, I was disappointed, but figured we could still be friends. But she met Potter and Black on the train and they started coloring her opinion on my house right away. We tried to stay friends but I could feel her growing away from me, at least at school, but we still had our summers. And then fifth year when I called her a...when I called her that name, that was it. I had nothing. Until you came crashing into my life. Literally."

He heard Hermione sniffing next to him. "I'm so glad that I came into your life, Severus. I'm glad that I can give you some happiness in the midst of all the sadness and right now I'm hoping against everything that time is not a loop. That I've managed to branch the time line off, and stop all of the suffering I know is going to befall you in the future."

"There's more suffering?" Severus asked. "Haven't I suffered enough? What happens? Tell me."

Hermione shook her head. "I shouldn't. What if time really is a loop. I can't risk changing the time line. If I change something, then I'll never get sent here, and then we would never have met like this and I don't want to give this up."

"You've said it yourself. If time is a loop, then everything that's meant to happen happens because you're here. That you're some catalyst that allows these things to happen. So tell me. What other things do I suffer from?"

He heard her sniffle beside him, and he started to feel guilty for pushing her but he wasn't going to back down. He needed to know his future. 

"You kill someone," she whispered next to him. "Someone important. In cold blood."

"No," Severus said, shaking his head. "I couldn't never do that."

"But you do, because you're working with some very bad people. You betrayed us, all of us."

Severus swallowed the lump in his throat. "You're saying that I destroyed my soul? After knowing what would happen?"

Hermione nodded.

"Who did I kill?"

Hermione shook her head. 

"Who did I kill!" he shouted, his voice, raw with emotion.

"Dumbledore," she whispered. 

The admission was like a kick to the stomach. He couldn't breathe. Twenty years from now, he would kill his headmaster. But why?

"I'm not telling you anymore," Hermione said. "I can't," she took a breath through her tears, "I can't risk the information getting into the hands of You Know Who. If you want to learn anymore about your probable future, you need to learn Occlumency, and master it. You need to be able to guard your thoughts from any invasion. Once you do that, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Severus nodded his head. "Fine."

They rounded the corner and returned back to the house. A tawny owl was sitting on the handrail out front of the house and it had a piece of parchment tied to his leg. Severus moved over and pulled the parchment off and unrolled it. What he saw was just added to the pile of rocks that were sitting in his gut from the day. 

"What is it?" Hermione asked from behind him.

"It's a summons. I've been invited to meet with The Dark Lord on Christmas Eve."


	18. Chapter 18

"Christmas Eve?" Hermione exclaimed. "That's tomorrow!"

"I'm aware of when that is," Severus snapped, as he pushed through the door, into the house. The living room was empty so that meant his father must have come to while they were out, and retreated. He walked to the stairs and rushed up them. He heard Hermione following him, but he didn't stop. He unwarded his room, and pushed his way in. He fell onto the bed, face first, and tried to control his breathing. 

Tomorrow. He was meeting with the Dark Lord tomorrow. That didn't give him any time to try and figure out how to turn him down. He and Hermione hadn't even talked about what they were going to do once since they had arrived. He had foolishly assumed he would wait until after Christmas. But of course if you're trying to take over the world, why would you worry about the holidays? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Severus, are you okay?" he heard Hermione ask her voice sounding far away. This was the last thing he needed piled on after the shit day he had been having. Now on top of everything he had to prepare himself for tomorrow, when he was either going to agree to join the Dark Lord or he was going to die. And he really didn't want to die. Not now. 

He felt the bed dip down beside him and felt Hermione's hands combing through his hair. 

"Severus, talk to me."

He rolled over onto his side so he could look up at Hermione. "I'm fucked, Hermione. We haven't come up with a viable solution to me not taking the mark tomorrow. He is going to kill me, right there on the spot."

Hermione shook her head. "You're not going to be killed. We have to go into this assuming that time is a loop, and everything that's going to happen has already happened in my future. And in my future you survive this, and you go on to grow into a bastard. So you need to go into this with that in your mind. You will survive this."

"What will I tell them? About not taking the mark? How do I stall them?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "You tell them that you can't take the mark while still at Hogwarts. Tell them that Dumbledore is growing suspicious of the Slytherins, and he's planning to check everyone for Marks when they return from holiday. Tell them that you will gladly take the mark after graduation. That you will fall into rank in whatever position they want the moment you graduate, no sooner."

"But I don't want to fall in line at all," Severus said. "What happens after graduation?"

"We deal with that when it happens. We can always leave the country for a while. Wait out the war."

Severus nodded. "Okay, I'll tell them that. And then they fuck me up. Then what?"

"You come back here, and I patch you up."

Severus smiled weakly at Hermione. "What a shitty afternoon this has been."

Hermione returned his smile. "I know just what you need to make it better."

Severus raised his eyebrow. "Yeah? What would that be?"

Hermione didn't answer him, she just shifted her body to face his, pushing him until he was laying on his back. She crawled on top of him, straddling his hips, and he began to feel his cock twitch to life. She leaned down and captured his lips in a slow lingering kiss. Severus sighed, feeling the tension start to leave his body as she deepened the kiss. He brought his arms up wrapping them around her body, pulling her down, pressing her against his chest. He ran his hands up and down her back, bringing them down to her hips, pulling her against his hardness. He smiled as she moaned into his mouth. He groaned as she rolled her hips into him. She broke away from the kiss, trailing kisses down his neck before sitting up. Severus opened his eyes as he felt her shift her body off of his. He watched as she undid his belt and fly, putting her hands on his waistband, pulling down. He lifted his hips, allowing her to pull down his trousers and his pants, leaving him exposed. 

Hermione paused, staring at his cock, very erect, straining out from him. He was beginning to grow a bit uncomfortable with the attention when she leaned forward and licked him from base to tip. He let out a groan. He looked down at Hermione, who was looking up at him, as if asking permission. He gave a small nod of his head, and that was all she needed before she leaned forward and took all of him in her mouth. 

Severus moaned as he was engulfed fully in her warm mouth. His breathing became erratic as she started moving her head. He couldn't fully fit in her mouth, so she compensated with her hand at the base of his cock. He had never felt something so wonderful as what she was doing to him with his mouth. He reached down and ran his hand through her curls, grabbing onto a fistful. He tried really hard to not to thrust into her. He was trying to maintain control. Until she did something with her tongue and sucked, and he lost all control. He started bucking his hips, and Hermione started moaning around his cock. The vibrations along with the warmth of her mouth and whatever the fuck she was doing with her tongue were too much.

"I'm," he panted. "I'm going to cum."

He expected Hermione to pull back, but she continued what she was doing, and he pumped twice more before moaning and feeling himself spill into her mouth. He came down from his high, and felt Hermione pull off of him. He opened his eyes and watched her wiping her mouth clean. Her hair was wild, her cheeks were flushed and he couldn't control himself. He sprang up from the bed, and pushed her down onto her back, pulling at the button her denims, pulling and ripping them and her panties down her legs. He didn't even pause before he was burying his face in her soaking center. He slipped one and then two fingers into her went cunt, and began pumping as he latched onto her clit with his mouth. He listened as Hermione moaned his name. He twisted his fingers inside of her, and he heard her let out a loud groan. 

"Oh, yes, Severus, right there, just like that."

He continued to pump his fingers and suck and it didn't take long until he could feel her clenching down on his fingers, and calling out. When she came down from her high, Severus removed his fingers and moved up her body, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, before settling himself next to her, turning her so he could spoon her, the only way the two of them could fit in his twin bed. Even though it was early, the stress of the day had drained them. It wasn't long before they were asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Severus woke as the sun shone into his window. He shut his eyes tight, as he tried to will away his morning erection which was currently resting against his girlfriend's lower back. He had been waking with them every morning while sharing a bed with her, but usually they had some sort of clothing covering one or both of them, and he was able to hide it just a bit. But today they were both starkers, and he was incredibly embarrassed by it. 

Well, he was until he started remember the night before and how good it felt to be in her mouth, and how amazing it felt to take control of the situation. He was so worried that he would scare her away, but when he had started fucking her mouth, she had started moaning. So maybe she liked it when he was a little more take charge. 

I know what I'm supposed to bring out in you, Hermione had said before they left for break. Your confidence. 

**Severus smiled. She was definitely causing him to be more confident, and he liked the feeling it brought him when he did what he wanted without worrying about the consequences. He tightened his arm around Hermione, bringing her closer to his body. He loved the way she felt against him. Her skin was so soft and smooth and warm. He ran his hand along her belly feeling her stir against him, her hips pushing back against him. He smiled, and moved his hand up, cupping her breast in his hand. She breathed out and pushed back against him again. He gently massaged her breast, pinching her nipple between his fingers. Hermione moaned quietly, rolling her hips back against his cock. He moaned in turn. He shifted, bringing his other arm under her, cupping her other breast, squeezing it. Hermione moaned again, her breathing becoming erratic. Severus smiled against her hair moving one of his hands down, slipping it along her wet folds. 

"Severus," Hermione groaned out. 

He felt her reach behind her, wrapping her hand around his cock. He moaned at the contact. She shifted herself so that her leg was bent a little so it rested on his legs and she brought his cock between her legs. Severus groaned when he felt the warmth of her center radiate against him. He thrust his hips, feeling his cock slip through her silky wetness. They both groaned. He thrust again, and he felt her move against him. The angle was a bit awkward, but it still felt amazing. He brought his hand up and began rubbing her clit as he thrust against her folds. He didn't think he was going to last too long, and he could tell she was getting close. He pinched her nipple and clit in tandem, and could feel the head of his cock slip a little inside her opening and that did it, Hermione came with a groan, and he felt the gush of liquid against his cock. He thrust a couple more times, both times slipping just a bit inside of her, and that was enough to send him over. He came with a groan, ejaculating against the sheets. ** 

They laid there for a minute, catching their breath. 

"Good morning," Hermione said with a smile. 

Severus laughed. "Good morning." 

"I could get used to waking up like that," she said, with a smile, nuzzling back into him. 

"Me too," he agreed. "Going back to Hogwarts is going to suck. Sleeping alone in my bed in the dark, dank dungeons." 

"Don't think about that. We still have plenty of time here." 

"We do. Hopefully." 

The reminder of what was going to happen tonight placed a dark cloud over the room. 

"Everything is going to be okay," Hermione said. "You'll come back here, I'll patch you up, if needed, and then we'll celebrate Christmas in the morning." 

"I wish I had at least a fraction of your optimism," Severus replied. 

"Just keep reminding yourself that time is a loop, and you will survive this, and you'll be fine." 

Severus nodded, but didn't say anything, because he wasn't sure if he wanted time to be a loop. If time were a loop Hermione more than likely wasn't in his future, at least this incarnation of Hermione, and he would go on to kill Dumbledore. No, he didn't particularly want time to be a loop at all. 

********* 

They spent the day holed up in Severus' room, not wanting to take the chance of possibly encountering Tobias. Severus cast a tempus charm. "It's time." 

"What are you supposed to do?" 

"The parchment is a portkey that will activate and take me to where I need to be." 

Hermione nodded. She leaned over and kissed him. "Be careful," she said when she pulled away. 

Severus nodded. 

"I love you," she said. 

"I love you, too," he returned. 

And before he could say anything else, or change his mind, he felt a pull on his belly, and the world spun out of control. He landed hard on a marble floor. Groaning, he sat up and immediately regretted that he had done so quickly. His stomach lurched and he had to fight to not lose control of it and empty his stomach on the floor. 

"Welcome, my friend!" a voice said from behind him. 

Severus got to his feet and turned around to see Lucius standing there dressed in dress robes, looking every bit the part of an aristocrat. 

"I didn't realize the event was formal, I would have dressed better," Severus said. 

Lucius laughed. "Don't worry about it, Severus. The Dark Lord won't care what you're wearing. He just wants to meet with you and see if you're worthy of joining the cause. You'll be on your way before my annual Christmas Ball begins." 

Severus nodded. 

"Well, let's go get this over with," Lucius said. "I have every bit of confidence that you will please the Dark Lord, and you'll be leaving here a member of the circle." 

"And if I don't?" Severus asked, worry still deep in the pit of his stomach. 

"Then you'll be leaving here in a body bag, so don't fuck this up." 

Severus nodded. "I don't plan on it. You know how much I've wanted this Lucius." 

"I know. And I'm sorry it's taken almost a year since you've come of age to get you the meeting. The Dark Lord is very particular about who he lets in. But once he heard about your extraordinary talents in potions making he demanded a meeting. The fact that you're in school still has made recruitment a bit difficult, since we have to work around Dumbledore, but you're here now, and that's what counts." 

As they were talking Lucius led Severus through the hallways to a set of large doors. Lucius turned toward Severus before opening the door. "A few ground rules. Do not speak his name, do not speak unless you are asked a question, and as soon as you get in there, approach the Dark Lord and kneel before him." 

Severus nodded in understanding. 

Lucius opened the door and walked in. "Severus Snape is here to see you, My Lord." 

Severus took a deep breath and set his shoulders back. He moved into the room and started to walk to the large throne set up in the center. As he approached, he took a second to look at the self proclaimed Dark Lord, and he found himself a little disappointed. He didn't look immortal or all powerful, he looked like a man. He was middle aged, slightly older than his parents, with dark hair and eyes. He sat in the throne wearing long black dress robes. He sat up straight, and looked directly at Severus. The stare didn't let up, and there was something about his eyes that unnerved Severus. And then it clicked for him what it was about this man that caused men to follow him and to fear him. There was something sinister about him. He reached the throne, and knelt down at the base of it. 

"So you are the man Lucius has been telling me much about over the past year. The potions prodigy," Lord Voldemort said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Yes, my lord," Severus said, barely stumbling over the words. 

"You are but a child," Voldemort said. "What can you offer me that someone who has gone through their mastery cannot?" 

Severus swallowed. "My lord, I'm told that I'm very adept at brewing advanced and complicated potions, and I have been dabbling at improving upon the brewing methods of known potions and have taken the time to create a few of my own." 

"And Slughorn, he praises you? Are you a part of his so called, Slug Club?" 

Severus nodded. "He does, and I am, My Lord." 

Voldemort was quiet for a minute, never taking his eyes off of Severus. "Hmm, yes, that'll do very nicely. You say you've improved upon existing potions. How so?" 

Severus swallowed. "I've discovered ways to brew them more efficiently and I've strengthened their potency." 

"Yes," Vodemort said. "Yes, you will do just nicely. Lucius has not been exaggerating your talents. And that pleases me. The one issue I have is that you're still a student. What year are you?" 

"Seventh, my Lord." 

"So you will be graduating in the summer." 

"Yes, My Lord." 

"Well, that settles it, I would like to welcome you into my ranks as my personal potioneer. When you graduate from Hogwarts I will have you apprentice with the finest potioneer alive and gain your mastery. You should excel and be able to come back here and brew for me in no time. Now it's the matter of setting up your initiation so you can take the mark. Will the New Year be convenient for you?" 

"Well, my lord, about my initiation. Dumbledore has been extremely suspicious of all Slytherins lately. He announced before we left for holiday he would be checking everyone's arms before entering school grounds. If he found any of us had taken the Mark there would be dire circumstances. I was hoping, my Lord, to postpone my initiation until graduation." 

Voldemort was silent, and Severus held his breath. Hoping he would accept the answer. 

"That old bastard has always been paranoid," Voldemort spoke up. "Very well, you will take the mark the day after you graduate Hogwarts, no later." 

"Yes, my Lord. I look forward to the honor." 

"And I look forward to the benefits I'm going to reap having you brewing for me. It was a pleasure to meet you, Severus." 

"And I you, my Lord." 

"You may go. Have a pleasant holiday." 

Severus nodded, and stood up. He started to walk out of the room when he was stopped. 

"Oh, and Severus?" 

He turned around to look at Voldemort. 

"Yes, my lord?" 

"If I were you, I would find a way to rid yourself of that mudblood girlfriend of yours before you take the mark. I would hate for something to happen to her." 

"Yes, my lord," Severus replied before exiting the room. He shut the door behind him, his hands shaking. He took a few calming breaths before apparating back home.


	20. Chapter 20

Severus appeared back in his bedroom with a crack. Hermione immmediately leapt up from his bed. 

"Are you okay?" she asked coming up to him. "Did he hurt you? How was it?"

"It was fine. He asked me about my qualifications, and when I corroborated everything that Lucius had been saying about me, he said he would add me to his ranks as his potion brewer after he sends me to get my mastery. He even agreed to initiate me after graduation, no problems. The only thing menacing that he did was threaten that something would happen to you if we would be still together come initiation."

"Wow," Hermione said. "That is relatively uneventful."

"Yeah, it was. I basically just knelt on the floor and said 'My Lord' a lot."

Hermione smiled. "What's he like, You-Know-Who? I've never seen anything about him in this time."

"That's the part that shocked me. He's just a man. He's middle-aged, has dark hair, but his eyes...there's something unnerving about his eyes. What's he like in your time?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing like that," she said. "Learn Occlumency and I will tell you."

Severus nodded. "I guess I was just expecting more. I've heard all the rumors and what Lucius has told me, and I guess I was expecting someone a little more otherworldly. A little more menacing. Not someone who just looked...human."

"Don't let his appearance cause you to underestimate him. He's still very dangerous, and he will not hesitate to kill you if you step out of line."

"Oh don't worry, I won't. I know better than that. But the problem is, what am I going to do come graduation? He's going to initiate me the day after. How am I going to avoid that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. But we'll figure it out. We have plenty of time. We have about five months, we'll think of something."

Severus nodded. "You're right. What time is it?"

Hermione cast a tempus charm. "Just about midnight, why?"

"Which means it's just about Christmas," he said, with a smile.

Hermione returned his smile. "You're right, it is."

Severus walked over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a small box wrapped in brown paper. "It's not much, but Happy Christmas Hermione." 

Hermione took the box out of his hands. "When did you have time to get me something?"

Severus shrugged. "I have my ways."

Hermione smiled. Tearing the paper off the box, she opened the lid, and her mouth dropped open. "Severus, this is, this is too much."

Severus shook his head. "It's my mother's," he said. "It was her mother's and before my mum was as far gone as she is now, she gave it to me and told me to save it and give it to the woman I love. And that's you."

Hermione swiped the tears away from her face, "I love you, too."

"One day, when our lives are much less complicated, I will do this the right way, the permanent way. But before then, with the chaos our world is in, and the uncertainty that we will survive the school year, let alone graduation, I wanted to make sure I got to do this at least once." Severus took the box out of Hermione's hand, and got down on one knee in front of her. Unlike earlier tonight, this was the one time he wanted to be kneeling before someone. "Hermione, will you marry me? Someday?"

Hermione reached down, running her hands through his hair, cupping his face. "Severus, what if," she swallowed. "What if something happens and I get sent back to my time? What if the time when our lives slow down is twenty years from now, but I'm still eighteen and you're thirty-eight? What then? Would you still want to marry me?"

"Would you still want to marry me, if I were thirty-eight and cruel?" Severus bit out. "I think that's the better question. If I'm everything you say I am in the future, would you still want to marry me then? Where is this coming from? I thought you had given up trying to get back to your own time? What's changed?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, sighing. "Nothing's changed. But we don't know why I got sent here, Severus, or more importantly, how. I may not have any control if I get sent back or not. It may not be my choice. And as for the other part, knowing you, as I do now, of course I would want to marry you, future you. I love you, and you're still the same person, even if you're a bit older."

"What was the date in 1998 when you got sent back?" Severus asked, suddenly.

"Why?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Just answer me."

"Late-March? I don't know. We had been living in a tent for months. I have no idea what the date was. I know it was close to Easter, because Hogwarts was on holiday, we found that out after talking to a father of a friend. So it had to be somewhere around there. Now, why are you asking that?"

"Because," Severus said. "If you're not going to have any control over whether or not you go back to your time or not, I wonder if it would occur around the same time you got sent here."

"That doesn't make sense. If there were a connection, I would have landed in late March 1978 rather than September 1977. Severus, it's a stretch."

"You're right it is, but maybe we should be prepared. If you're going to get randomly thrown back into the future, then that would be the prime time for it to happen. If you make it through to graduation without disappearing on me, we know that you're here for the long term, and that time is not a loop."

"Why would that confirm that time isn't a loop?"

Severus looked up at Hermione, locking his eyes on hers. "Because any future in which I am cruel and unhappy, a future in which I commit cold-blooded murder, is a future in which I have lost you."

Hermione closed her eyes. She opened them. "Ask me again."

"What?" Severus asked. 

"Ask me again."

Severus swallowed. "Hermione, when this all goes away, and our lives are uncomplicated, will you marry me?"

Hermione nodded. "I will."

Severus broke into a grin, plucking the ring out of the box. It was a simple ring, gold with a solitary princess cut diamond on it, but it was the most valuable thing he owned. He slipped the ring on her finger before standing up and wrapping her in his arms, kissing her soundly on her lips. They broke apart, both smiling.

"I think it's time for me to give you my present," Hermione said, smiling.

"When did you have time to get me something?" Severus asked.

"I have my ways," Hermione said, throwing his words back at him. 

Severus smiled.

**Hermione stepped back from him, and lifted her shirt over her head, revealing a green lacy bra. Severus felt his mouth run dry as she unbuttoned her pants, and pushed them down her hips, revealing matching green lace panties.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"Before break I went to Madame Pomfrey, and asked her to put me on the potion," Hermione said. "I think I'm ready to have sex with you, if you want to. If you're not ready, I'll totally understand. We could--" 

Severus closed the gap between them, covering her mouth with his in a heated kiss. He ran his hands down her back, and gripped her arse, bringing their hips together, he grinded his hardness against her through his jeans, she moaned, and pushed back, grabbing the hem of his shirt, bringing it up and over his head. Severus immediately put his hand back on her arse, massaging her as she fidgeted with getting his trousers open and down. As soon as she got him naked, she fell to her knees in front of him bringing his cock into her mouth. Severus moaned, as he wrapped his hands in her hair and gently thrust in and out of her mouth. He could feel himself getting close, and knowing that he was going to be able to finally have sex with his girlfriend, he pulled Hermione off of him, and up to her feet. He captured her lips with his, bringing his hands down to her arse, lifting her up until her legs wrapped around his waist. 

He could feel her wetness through the thin panties she wore as she rubbed herself against his cock. He turned them to his bed, laying her down in the center and climbing on top of her. He thrust against her center as he kissed her, pinching her nipples. He moved his hands down her body to her panties slipping them off. He moved a finger along her folds, feeling her wetness. He slipped, a finger, then another and then another into her, filling her, stretching her, preparing her. She moaned, grinding into his hand as he pumped in and out of her. He trailed kisses down her body until he reached her center, and as soon as he sucked her clit into his mouth he felt her cum around his fingers. 

Without waiting for her to come down he moved back up her body, and lined himself up with her center. He made eye contact with her, silently asking if she was sure. She gave him a small nod, so he gently pushed his way into her. He had to control himself. She was so tight. It felt so good. Hermione cried out as he pushed in, stretching her. Once he was in all the way, he paused and let Hermione get adjusted to the new feeling, and he focused on trying not to cum in two thrusts. When he felt Hermione start to move around him, he slowly drew back, and then pushed back in. They both moaned. Severus did it again, and again, finding a rhythm that felt good to the both of them. It took every ounce of self control to not cum right away, but he knew he wasn't going to last very long, so he brought a hand between them, finding Hermione's clit and rubbing it in time with his thrusts. He felt her tightening around him, and knew she was close. A few more thrusts and he found himself coming over the edge as she came undone around him. As he spilled himself inside of her, and settled down on top of her, trying to catch his breath, he realized that this was probably the best Christmas of his entire life.**


	21. Chapter 21

The rest of the holiday was filled with sex and studying. Severus and Hermione were always careful to not be out in the main house while Tobias was around, and Severus didn't dare go back into his mum's room. Their days were spent studying and reading, their nights filled with exploring each other's bodies. Severus didn't know how they were going to survive going back to school and having to spend their nights in separate areas of the castle. 

The ride back to school was probably one of Severus's favorite train rides to date. As soon as they found an empty compartment, Severus locked and warded it and drew the blinds, and didn't waste a second before he had Hermione on his lap, bouncing on his cock while he fucked her. Where on the train ride from Hogwarts he found himself unsure and doubtful about what he was doing, the train ride back he was confident and assertive as he gripped his witches hips as he pushed his cock into her, causing her to scream out his name as she came. He didn't know where this newfound confidence came from, but he was feeling like a brand new person. 

They pulled into Hogsmeade, and as Hermione adjusted her skirt and he fastened his pants back up, he was certain that this semester was going to be the best one yet. 

* * * * * * * * * *

**"Oh, god, Severus," Hermione said, as he thrust into her. 

They were in one of the empty classrooms they used after classes on Mondays. They had found it hard to try and find time to be alone together in order to have sex since coming back to school. Hermione was still unsure about fooling around in the classrooms, because she really didn't want to get caught. But after a week of nothing more than hand holding and small kisses, Severus finally decided he was going to go for what he wanted. As soon as they had walked into the classroom, he'd shut and locked the door, and had Hermione pressed against it. He captured her lips, and shoved a hand up her skirt, massaging her clit. Hermione didn't put up a fight, and began to grind herself against him. He wasted no time to undo his fly, free his cock, lift her up and wrap her legs around his waste, and push into her.

He thrust into her, gripping her arse, pressing her against the door for leverage. They had never fucked standing up and the angle felt amazing. He could already feel Hermione tightening around him, and he knew she was close. He picked up his pace, slamming into her a little rougher than he was used to. He wasn't sure what was coming over him, but he loved it. 

"Yes," Hermione hissed into his ear, digging her fingers into his back. "Yes, Severus, I'm so close, harder," she said.

Severus didn't need to be told twice, slamming into her again, harder, faster. He brought his mouth down her neck, and bit down. Hermione cried out as her orgasm hit her. Severus pumped a couple more times before spilling himself into her. After taking a second to catch his breath, he pulled his wand out of his back pocket, casting a cleansing charm on them, before setting Hermione down. He watched as she adjusted her skirt down, as he tucked his cock back into his pants.** 

"Wow," Hermione said, still trying to catch her breath. Where on earth did that come from?" 

Severus shrugged. "Well, it's been a week since we last were able to do anything besides kiss, and since today is my birthday, I figured what the hell. No time like the present."

"It's your birthday?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't think to."

"If I had known it was your birthday, I would have taken you up to the Room of Requirement and done something a little more special than a quick fuck against the door of the classroom."

Severus smirked. "I don't know, I kind of enjoyed the quick fuck against the door. I think we should do it again and often."

Hermione smacked him on his arm. "You're lucky we didn't get caught. I don't think you put up a silencing charm."

Severus laughed. "You're right, I don't think I did."

Hermione shook her head at him. "What's gotten into you? Ever since we've been back, you've been different."

"Different, how?"

"I don't know, I can't really put my finger on it. You're walking around taller, you don't slouch anymore. Your hair is pushed back out of your face, so you're not hiding behind it. You just seem so much more...confident."

Severus smiled. "I feel a lot more confident."

"It's a good look on you," Hermione said. "What brought this change about?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't know, exactly. I think part of it is the fact that I'm shagging a beautiful witch who I can bring to orgasm. Feeling you fall apart around me, knowing that I did that, is certainly an ego boost. And I don't know, I think the meeting with The Dark Lord helped too."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "How so?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know. I guess, knowing that someone values what I do, my talents. That's a good feeling you know? He said I had talent. He wants me for my skills, that's never happened before."

"Severus," Hermione asked. "You're still planning on turning him down after graduation, right?"

Severus looked down at his feet.

"Severus?"

"I don't know," he said.

Hermione stumbled back, as if he had struck her. "What?"

"I said, I don't know."

"Since when have you been thinking about joining?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Just the last few days."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to die," Severus said. "And I've been thinking about it, and he's offering me a potions mastery with one of the best potioneers alive. Do you know how rare an opportunity that is? I would be an idiot to turn that down. Without his sponsorship, I won't be able to get a mastery, I'll just have to go work for the Ministry after graduation."

"And what's wrong with that?" Hermione asked. "It's what I'm probably going to do."

"It's not what I want to do," he said. "I've dreamt of being able to get a mastery since I started Hogwarts, and it's always seemed unattainable, and now, the opportunity to get one has fallen in my lap. It would be stupid to just let that slip away."

"And getting yourself branded with the Dark Mark and going to fight for a madman is the best way to do it?"

"It's the only way to do it!" Severus yelled. "You don't understand."

"Then make me understand. Tell me why you're even considering this!"

"Because I want to be important!" he yelled. "Because I like how it feels, to be wanted, needed. I don't want to give that up."

"What about us? What happened to wanting to get married, to settle down? What happened to that?"

"We still can!"

"No we can't!" Hermione screamed. "He threatened me, Severus. He told you to break up with me, or else. And you're just going to ignore that so you can gain some power? Get a leg up in the world?"

"I'll figure that out, I'll ask him to spare you. Maybe you can--"

"Stop right there, Severus Snape. Don't you utter another fucking syllable." Hermione reached up, covering her hands with her face. When she removed her hands, Severus noticed that she was crying. "I guess you were right all along."

"Right about what?" Severus asked, confused. 

"Your theory about time," she said. "I guess it really is a loop."

Hermione pushed past him, unlocking the door, and storming out.


	22. Chapter 22

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since he had last talked to Hermione. It was like the end of fifth year all over again. Except worse. He had been so sure nothing could be worse from losing Lily, but then he lost Hermione. He had tried to go after her, but she had already managed to sequester herself in the Tower. The next day when he waited for her to come down the stairs, he was greeted by Lupin who told him that she was under the weather. She skipped class the day after that as well, and when she finally emerged the third day, she was flanked by Lupin and Black as they walked right past him straight into the Great Hall. It was that moment when Severus knew he was fucked. The fact that she had Black on her side meant he was going to work like hell to get her to forgive him. 

He went to classes and she continued to sit by him, but unless she needed to talk to him about a potion or a problem, she remained silent. She no longer showed up to their various classrooms. She took all her meals in the Great Hall and she studied either in the library or in the Tower. So he started taking his meals in the Great Hall. Always making sure to sit in a place so he could keep an eye on her interactions with Lupin and Black. He had already lost one person to a Marauder, he wasn't about to lose another. 

The difference between fifth year and now was Severus wasn't going to just lay down and roll over. He wasn't going to give up without a fight. Even though Hermione wasn't talking to him, he was talking to her. He greeted her every morning as she strode past him. He tried to strike up conversations with her in class. And every night after dinner, before she walked up the stairs, he would tell her good night and that he loved her. 

But above all, most importantly, she was still wearing his ring. That had to be a good sign, right? 

She was thawing. After two weeks she was starting to look at him again. He told her a funny anecdote during brewing in potions the day before and she smiled. The first smile he had gotten out of her since she stormed out on him. He was starting to feel confident that they were going to reconcile soon. At least he hoped so. He missed her. And it wasn't just because she was his only friend. He missed her smile, her laughter, and the intellectual conversation they shared. Homework had become tedious. Life had become quiet. Too quiet. He needed her back. And he was running out of ideas of how to get her back. He knew what had set her off. But he didn't know how to apologize for that. She wanted him to be confident and sure of himself. It was what she said she wanted to bring out in him, and as soon as he exhibited those traits, he lost her.

He walked into the Great Hall for lunch, and took his seat on the bench facing the Gryffindor table. He immediately spotted Hermione sitting in her usual spot between Lupin and Black. That was the one thing about this hiatus, because he refused to call it a break up, that he couldn't stand. At some point she and Black had become friends. He was okay with Lupin, but Black...he had to wonder if she was attaching herself to Black just to spite him. The bloody mutt had never left her side since she decided to ignore him. And occasionally the bastard would look Severus's way with a smirk, rubbing it in that he had lost another girl to the fucking Marauders. He stared at Hermione while he ate, willing her to glance his way, just so he could try and convince her to talk to him. But, instead of catching the attention of Hermione, he caught the attention of Black. 

Black locked eyes with Severus and then smirked before draping an arm around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione looked up from her food, giving Black a confused look before he leaned in, locking his lips with hers. Severus, moving of his own accord, pushed himself up from the table. Before he could really think about what he was doing, he was at the Gryffindor table, pulling Black up by the collar of his robes, and decking him. All hell broke loose as everyone leapt up from both the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables, meeting in the middle, intending to settle whatever feud there was between the students. Just as the students started clashing, Severus felt a hand wrap around his upper arm, and tug him toward the exit. 

Out in the hallway, Severus was finally able to reorient himself and notice that it was Hermione dragging him bodily down the hall toward one of the classrooms they had frequented often. As soon as they were in the room, Hermione slammed the door behind them, before rounding on him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she seethed at him. 

"He kissed you! What did you expect me to do?" Severus yelled back.

"Not punch him in the face!" she replied, trying in vain to keep her volume down.

"Did you want him to kiss you?" he said, gesturing at the door.

"What?"

"Did you want that fucking mutt to kiss you?"

"Why does it matter?"

"You know damn well why it fucking does! You're my girlfriend, you're wearing my fucking ring! And you're going around kissing fucking Marauders!"

"You don't own me, Severus. You need to realize that you cannot control what I do or who I'm friends with. I've realized, now that I've had a chance to get to know them, that the Marauders aren't actually all that bad. Lupin and I have become quite good friends. And Black, well, once you've laid boundaries about what he's allowed and not allowed to do, he's actually really funny."

"And you've allowed him to kiss you, and touch you, have you? If you're interested in fucking that mutt, you should give me back my ring. I don't want to be associated with a mudblood whore."

He felt the sting of the slap before he had realized what Hermione was planning on doing. He brought his hand up, touching his cheek where she had struck him.

"Fuck you, Severus. Fuck you. Just as I was ready to reconcile, you pull this shit," she reached down, yanking the ring off of her finger, thrusting it out waiting for him to take it. "Here, I don't want to wear this anymore," she said, tears threatening to fall. 

"Hermione," Severus said, regret at what he had said immediately filling him as he stared at the engagement ring being offered to him. "Please don't do this. I love you--"

"If you loved me, you would trust me. And you so obviously don't."

"He kissed you! What was I supposed to think!"

"That he was doing it to fucking mess with you!" she shouted through her sobs. "He's noticed you watching, staring. It gives him a thrill that he's next to me while you're across the hall. You played right into his hands. All the work I've done over the past two weeks trying to build bridges are done, because you can't control yourself!"

"Why the fuck would you want to build bridges between me and the fucking Marauders? They're bullies. They hate me."

"Well, they're my friends, and you're my boyfriend. I wanted to be able to combine my two worlds when I finally got over being pissed at you for even considering being a Death Eater, and for being a complete prick."

Severus shook his head. "You're impossible."

Hermione looked confused. "Why am I impossible?"

"Because I'm just doing what you wanted me to do."

"I never wanted you to be a Death Eater! I think I've made it pretty clear that I want just the opposite."

"You wanted me to be confident. And ever since that meeting with The Dark Lord, I've felt more confidence than I have ever felt in my entire life. And I think it's very unfair that you're now turning around and punishing me for becoming what you wanted!"

"I wanted you to stop hiding behind your hair! To stop hiding in abandoned classrooms! To stand up against Sirius and James the next time they corner you! To hold yourself a little taller, to be proud of who you are! Not become power hungry, or long to be a fucking Death Eater!"

Severus shook his head. "I am proud of who I am. Can't you see? I'm a great potioneer, leagues ahead of anyone in my generation, possibly even the generation before me! I used to have the most sought out girl in Hogwarts on my arm and in my bed. I was starting to have the world at my fingertips. I'm going to be able to study and gain a mastery from the premier potioneer in the world! Why won't you be proud of me? Why won't you be proud of the me that you helped create?"

Hermione closed the gap between them, taking his hand in hers. "Because I can't be proud of someone who would even for a second consider accepting the Dark Lord's offer. Or someone who can just throw around words he can't take back as if they were nothing. I'm sorry, Severus."

As she turned and walked out the door, Severus was left standing there in the empty classroom, watching until he could no longer see her, holding the ring that had once symbolized the lifetime they were supposed to spend together.


	23. Chapter 23

He had given up hope of any sort of reconciliation between himself and Hermione. He hadn't seen her in weeks. In fact, no one had. He knew that for a fact, after he was cornered by angry Marauders a few days after Hermione had returned her ring. Turned out no one had seen Hermione since she confronted him, and the Marauders were convinced he did something to her. A couple stinging hexes later, and the Marauders left him alone. Rumors started going around the school that after the break up, Hermione couldn't handle being even in the same school as Severus, so she transferred to Beauxbatons for the remainder of her seventh year.

Severus had his own theory about where Hermione disappeared, and it didn't involve a transfer of schools.

Severus sighed and sat down in the abandoned classroom. He still didn't take meals in the Great Hall. After punching Sirius, he was now the recipient of dark looks and random hexes if he even looked at the Gryffindor table, so he thought it best to just avoid it all together. And besides, being in the Great Hall only reminded him that Hermione was lost to him, now more than ever. Why did he let his own ambition get in the way of his happiness? He never felt more like he belonged in Slytherin than he did in those weeks. Now, he would gladly throw away every opportunity The Dark Lord offered him, if only to have Hermione back in his life.

He opened his Transfiguration book, and read as he idly ate his lunch. They had an exam in their next class, and he wanted to make sure he knew everything like the back of his hand before going in. He was so drawn in to what he was reading that he didn't hear the door of the room open and close. In fact, he wasn't aware he wasn't alone until the intruder sat down next to him. Startled, he drew his wand and turned toward the person invading his space. He was so shocked by who was there, that he nearly dropped his wand.

"Hermione?" he asked quietly. His girlfriend, if he could still consider her his girlfriend, sat next to him, looking like she hadn't slept in weeks. Her hair was bigger and frizzier than he had ever seen in the months they had been together. Dark circles colored the area beneath her eyes, and she looked like she had lost a lot of weight. 

"Severus," she answered, just as quietly. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice quivering.

Severus shook his head, trying to convince his brain to catch up. "What are you doing here? No one's seen you for weeks!"

She stifled a sob, closing her eyes. "Something's happening, and I don't understand."

"Where have you been?"

"The Room of Requirement," she answered. "I've been there ever since...well, ever since," she said. "I went there to clear my head and try to figure out how much I could tell you without completely imploding time. I needed a place to research time and try to figure out how I'm affecting the time line by just existing here. To maybe figure out what spell sent me here. Find a way home."

Severus raised his hands, placing them on Hermione's shoulders. "Hermione, love, you need to slow down. You look like you haven't slept or eaten in weeks."

Hermione shook her head. "That's the thing. I have been sleeping and eating. I have the Room set up to get me whatever I need. But soon after I locked myself in the Room, this started happening. No matter how much I slept, no matter how much I ate, I started looking like I did before..."

"Before what?"

"Before I came here," she finished with a whisper. 

Severus shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to piece together everything she was saying, but coming up short.

"I'm so sorry, Severus. For everything."

He opened his eyes, looking her in the eyes. "Hermione..."

"No," she said, interrupting. "No, please let me say this."

Severus nodded. 

She took a deep breath. "I was so mad at you for even considering becoming a Death Eater. You-Know-Who threatened me, and you were still thinking about what you would get out of joining the ranks of the Death Eaters. You were being so fucking Slytherin I couldn't stand to be in the same room with you. I needed time to cool down. To take a breath. Spend some time with my own kind, so to speak,” she paused and took a deep breath. “In my time, my best friend's name is Harry Potter."

Severus started at that. "Potter? As in..."

"James Potter, yes."

"And the boy's mother?"

"Lily," Hermione said quietly.

Severus closed his eyes. It didn't surprise him that Lily would marry the Potter boy. In fact, he wasn’t even hurt by that bit of news. Before Hermione came into his life, he would have been devastated. Instead he was merely surprised because this knowledge firmly cemented how far back Hermione had traveled. It was one thing knowing abstractly she was from twenty years in the future, it was another to be able to picture that in his time he was old enough to be her father.

Hermione continued. "I felt that since I needed a break from everything going on between us, I would try and get to know the parents Harry grew up without."

Severus felt the air rush out of his body at that admission. He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Hermione kept talking.

"To get to know the godfather he didn't have a chance to know. To get to know the only link he has left between his family and himself little bit better. That way, if I were to ever make it home, I could tell Harry how he and his mom not only share the same eyes, they share the same compassion. That he and his father have the same nervous tick. I never meant to hurt you. Never. I know you have a history with the Marauders. I know how cruel they've been to you over the last seven years. But I had to get to know them for Harry, please understand that. Please," she broke off, sobbing. 

Severus moved, wrapping his arms around her drawing her close to him. He didn't know what to think. His mind buzzed with all of the new information she just piled onto him. "It's okay, it's okay," he murmured into her hair.

She shook her head. "It's not okay. It's not. I called you a name, I gave you back my ring. I broke your heart."

"It's not like I didn't deserve all of that," Severus said. "I was being an ass. An arrogant ass. All I could see was my chance to get ahead in life. To make a better life for us! I didn't stop to think about how you would feel about everything. What it meant for me to join them to get myself ahead. I know their activities keep escalating, but I keep thinking there has to be a way for me to still get the advantage of the potions mastery and for us to still be together. We can find a way to have the best of both worlds! Maybe I can be a double agent or something, like James Bond."

Hermione started sobbing harder into his shoulder. "Before I was transported here, I was on the run for eight months with Harry and our friend Ron. We lived in a tent, barely getting enough food to survive. We were running on fumes by the time we were captured and I was tortured for information. It was during that torture something happened and I was transported here."

"You’ve told me all of this. Why are you bringing this up now?”

Hermione pulled back from his arms. "Because, Severus, this is what I looked like around the time I was captured. Once I started noticing that my appearance was deteriorating, I started researching, and I can't find it. I can't find whatever spell brought me here. I don't know how to stop it; I don't know what to expect!" 

"Hermione, you're not making any sense. What are you talking about?"

"Severus, I'm pretty sure time is definitely a loop, and I don't know how long I have. And whatever time I have left, I want to spend it with you. Please forgive me. Please."

Severus shook his head. "Of course I forgive you, of course. I hope you can forgive me, too. But what do you mean you don't have much time?"

"I'm pretty sure that the reason my condition is deteriorating is because I'm going to be going back to my time. To the second I was ripped from. And I'm so fucking scared right now, because what if I don't make it through the torture? What if I don't survive to find you again?"

Severus pulled her back into his arms and tightened his grip around her. As she sobbed into his shoulder he made a choice. Once she was calm he was going to get her to tell her everything she could about the time leading up to her torture. Every single fucking detail. And then she was going to help him master Occlumency in the little time they had left together. And then he would spend the next twenty years figuring out a way to help her get out of the torture alive, so they would be reunited.


	24. Chapter 24

Even though they were on speaking terms again, everything still wasn't back to the way they were before between Severus and Hermione. Severus could tell that she was trying to distance herself from him, since it seemed the days between them were numbered. Hermione looked worse and worse as the days went by. She grew thinner and thinner, her hair rattier and rattier. They had decided it would be better if she continued to hide in the Room of Requirement, until they knew for sure what was going on. 

"Let's go over this one more time," Severus said, one night near the end of March. They were surrounded by books that they had combed over dozens of times, yet they were still no closer to the answer they were seeking. They still had no idea which spell was cast on Hermione to send her back in time. "Who was in the room with you?"

Hermione sighed, laying flat on her back on the floor, drawing her hands down her face. "Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Bellatrix. And some snatchers who I'm not one hundred percent sure who they were."

Severus nodded. "And you don't remember anyone of them casting anything that you've never heard before?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, but I was really out of it. Bellatrix had just finished carving into my arm, there was some kind of commotion, there was shouting, and then the next thing I knew I was waking up in the infirmary."

Severus sat pondering that. "You didn't notice a certain feeling? A tingling? A glow?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not being very helpful. And I've looked up so much about time travel, and I can't find anything that can send people as far back as I've been sent."

"Specialized Time-Turner?" Severus asked. "You mentioned that you used one in your third year. Could it have malfunctioned when you were hit by the cruciatus so many times?"

"I gave that back to Professor McGonnagall after the year was over. And all the time turners were destroyed in two years before."

Severus sighed, and turned back to the books in front of him. He stared at the pages for several minutes. They were making no progress. And then it hit him. "What if it wasn't a specific time traveling spell? What if it were a protection spell? Do you think one of your friends would have managed to send a protection spell at you, and it backfired, sending you here?"

Hermione sat up. "I don't know. I think I heard Harry's voice, but I can't be sure. But," she sighed. "I honestly don't think Harry or Ron would know a spell like that. But they could have. They might have looked something up while we were on the run? I don't know. I just, I wish I knew more. I wish I had spent more of this year researching, but..." she trailed off.

Severus sat up straighter. "But?"

Hermione looked up at him, making sure their eyes met. "But, I had hoped that I would be here forever, because that meant I would be with you. So I didn't bother researching. Instead I spent all of my time planning for the future I envisioned us having. And now. Now, I can't have that future. I'm going to be sent back to my time, where you hate me, and there's a war, and you're on the wrong side, or with the way things are going right now, maybe you're on the right side," she started crying, burying her face in her hands. 

Severus stood up and moved next to her, pulling her into his embrace. "I can't picture any future in which I hate you. There has to be a reason for my actions, if time is really a loop." Severus moved back just enough to reach into his pocket, pulling out the engagement ring. He picked up her left hand, slipping the ring back on her finger. "When you return to your time, I'll see you wearing this, and know that you're you. That you're the Hermione that I fell in love with. And then we can be together, no matter how shit the world is at that point."

Hermione stared down at her finger. "That's thirty years from now. How do you know that you'll still feel the same way then as you do now?"

"I just do. A love like ours is a once in a lifetime love. And it can transend all time and space, I mean, we're from two different times. Logically, we were never supposed to meet at this time as we are. But we did. We met, we fell in love. I can't fathom that thirty years could quell my love for you even a little bit."

Hermione threw her arms around his neck pulling him closer, meeting his lips with hers. Her tears made their kiss salty, but Severus didn't care. She was back in his arms, his ring was back on her finger, and the promise that they would find each other again fresh in their hearts. Severus pulled back from the kiss, cupping Hermione's cheek with his hand. He ran the pad of this thumb on her cheek, gazing into her eyes. It wasn't fair that their time was limited. It wasn't fair that he would have to wait thirty years to see her again. He opened his mouth to speak, but what he wanted to say got cut off when something he wasn't expecting to happen happened.

"You're glowing," he said, quietly.

Hermione look startled, bringing her hand up so she could look at it. She was covered in a blue glow. 

"Severus?" she asked, unsure what was going on.

Before he could respond, Hermione winced in pain, bringing her hand to her left forearm, she moved her hand away, and it was covered in blood. 

"Severus, I think, I think I'm leaving," Hermione said, softly.

Severus shook his head. "No I'm not ready. We need more time."

Hermione started crying. "I'm not either."

Severus could feel the tears stinging his eyes. "Please try to love the me I am thirty years from now. I sound like an arse, so it may be difficult, but please try."

Hermione tried to smile, "Of course, as long as you still love me in thirty years."

"Always," Severus said, without hesitating. 

"Severus," Hermione started, but she never got to finish her thought, as the room filled with a bright blue light.

Severus rubbed his eyes as they adjusted back to the dimness of the Room. He looked around at the room, now devoid of his love, and he could feel the emptiness just filling his chest. His breathing sped up, and he could feel the walls closing in on him. He had to get out of there. 

He stood up and ran out of the room. He didn't stop running as he moved through the castle, down the stairs, toward the entrance hall.

"Severus?" he heard behind him, and he vaguely registered the sight of red hair, but he didn't slow down. He pushed his way through the castle doors, and ran across the castle grounds until he was at the gates. He pushed his away through and as soon he was off the grounds, he apparated away.

He landed on the stoop of his house in Spinner's End, and momentarily forgot about why he even came there, as the door to the house was wide open, and the house was emanating a horrible stench. He moved cautiously through the house, dreading what he was going to find there. He moved up the stairs and stopped in front of his parents' bedroom, where the smell was the strongest. He moved his hand up to the doorknob, and slowly pushed open the door. It was dark, so he pulled out his wand, casting Lumos, and immediately gagged. Lying on the bed were the decomposing bodies of his parents. A gun lay next to his father's right hand, and he knew immediately what had happened. 

He rushed downstairs and made a quick phone call, tipping the police off to something strange in the house, and apparated away. 

Before he really knew what he was doing, he found himself knocking on the door of Malfoy Manor. The door swung open, and there stood Lucius. 

"Severus, what a surprise," Lucius greeted him.

"I'm ready," Severus said, without preamble.

"Really? What about all that nonsense about waiting until the end of the term?"

"I've changed my mind," Severus bit out.

"I see. You're in luck, because the Dark Lord is here now, come on in."

Severus straightened up, pushing all the shit things that had happened to him today, losing Hermione to time, finding his parents, behind the walls he had practiced building with Hermione over the last few weeks. He pushed it all in, especially his knowledge of the future, of how the war was going thirty years from now. He even put his feelings in there, because there was no way he was going to let The Dark Lord pollute how he felt for Hermione. He built the strongest walls he ever built, and schooled his face into a cold, uncaring mask. When he felt he was ready, he followed Lucius into the Manor and to the future he knew he was fated to live.


	25. Chapter 25

Severus marched back to the castle, hand clutching at his left forearm. It was done. He was now a Death Eater. After the Dark Lord carved his mark into him, he promised Severus that the day after graduation he would go to France and apprentice under the greatest living potion's master. After the apprenticeship, he would come back to England and become the Dark Lord's personal potion's master, brewing whatever he requested. The thought of being beholden to the Dark Lord's every whim made Severus feel queasy, but he quickly shoved any doubts behind the strong walls he had built earlier in the night. It was done now. He needed to adopt the persona of a non-caring Death Eater if he was going to survive to make it back to Hermione in twenty years. 

He shoved open the castle door, and started toward the dungeons, but stopped short. 

"Lily?" he asked. 

The girl in question was leaning against the wall next to the stairwell that lead to the dungeons. She startled, as if she had been sleeping, and sat up straight, giving Severus a small smile.

"Hi, Sev," she said quietly. "I've been hoping you would come back."

Severus shook his head, taking the remaining steps to close the gap between the two of them. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you racing through the castle early today. I was worried. Did something happen? Is it about Hermione?"

Severus studied Lily's face as well as he could in the darkness, and he determined that she was sincere in her worry, but he was still leery. She was Potter's girl now. This could all be a cruel and horrible trick.

"And why do you care? You've not said a kind word to me in years. Why now?"

Lily sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Because in a few short months we'll be out of this place and go our separate ways, and I realized I may never see you again, except in passing while out in Diagon Alley, and I realized that that is not what I want, at all. Sev, you were my first friend in the Wizarding World. My closest friend for so long. I was stupid and immature to let something like you saying a stupid word in the heat of an embarrassing moment ruin any of that. I was stupid for letting James and Sirius influence my feelings for you. We've wasted so much time, and I know that we can't get that back, but when I saw you run out of here today, I realized that we don't need to keep wasting time. Maybe we could try and be friends again."

Severus sighed. After everything horrible that happened today, he wasn't expecting this. In fact he was pretty sure he was going to go to his grave before Lily Evans ever decided to apologize and rekindle their friendship. He let his walls slip a little. He wouldn't be cold to Lily. He couldn't. If he was going to survive being a Death Eater, he needed someone on his side. Someone kind. He took a seat next to Lily. "And is Potter okay with this truce?"

Lily shrugged. "He's going to need to be. He doesn't own me, and he can't stop me from being friends with you. And if we're going to be married, we need to be able to grow up and leave behind these childish rivalries. That goes for you, too. If I'm going to have you round to our house, I won't stand for curses being thrown."

"You're to be married?" Severus asked, quietly.

Lily pursed her lips, as if waiting for a fight. She lifted her left hand where a diamond ring sat on her finger. "He proposed a couple weeks ago, around Valentine's Day. This doesn't change anything does it? We can still reconcile?"

Severus didn't know what did it, the sincerity in her voice or in the look she gave him, or the ring on her finger, but he felt himself crumble inside, and felt tears start to streak their way down his cheeks against his better judgment.

"Oh Sev," Lily said moving closer to him, pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry. What's wrong? Do you not want to reconcile?"

Sev shook his head. "No, it's not that." He took a deep breath. "It's just, Hermione and I were to be married after graduation. But now," he paused, swallowing. "She's gone." His voice broke, and he took a deep breath to stop himself from falling apart. 

"Oh Severus, I'm so sorry. Maybe you two can reconcile? Long distance relationships are hard. Maybe after graduation you can go to wherever she is, and you can make it work. You two were perfect for each other. You should have heard her talking about you in the common room. You would have thought you hung the moon the way she spoke of you. I'm sure it'll work itself out. You just need to give it time."

Time. Yes, Severus thought to himself as he sat there on the cold stone floor next to Lily, all I need is time.

 

SSHG

SPRING 1980

Severus pulled the collar of his coat up around his neck as he made his way through the streets of Hogsmeade. It was a cold, wet night, and the weather matched his mood. He just received an owl from Lily announcing that she and Potter were expecting a baby sometime this summer, she was vague on the details, but she invited him to visit her in Diagon Alley at some point in the near future. Severus was a little upset that Lily waited so long to tell him about the baby, but he hadn't been exactly easy to reach for the last few months, holed up making potions for the Dark Lord. But that's not what soured his mood. It was the fact that all he could think about after receiving that letter was that if time were not a fucking loop, he and Hermione would be together, happily married, and maybe expecting a spawn of their own. Every time he received a letter from Lily his mind would taunt him with what ifs. What would life be like now if Hermione was never ripped from him? It had been almost two years since she left him, and he was still having a hard time with her being gone. His life was a miserable and lonely existence. He nearly killed himself after graduation to finish his apprenticeship in record time, and when he returned to London he moved back into his house at Spinner's End and brewed exclusively for The Dark Lord. In return for the work he completed, he was compensated greatly financially. 

The last few weeks, however, he began to lose a lot of sleep. It almost seemed like he was losing favor with The Dark Lord. He was called to less and less meetings. He was given instructions from owls, or occasionally Dolohav or Lucius would come round with the request. He was worried because it never ended well for people who fell out of favor or lost their usefulness for the Dark Lord. He needed to find a way to regain favor, but how? 

He was rounding the corner when he saw Dumbledore walking down the road toward the Hogs Head. Severus paused and watched as he walked into the tavern. Without thinking twice, Severus rushed across the street and into the tavern just in time to see Dumbledore disappearing up the stairs. Severus glanced around the tavern to make sure no one was watching and when he noticed the coast was clear, he made his way up the stairs. He looked around until he saw that one of the doors was closed, a light shining through the crack at the bottom. He quickly and quietly made his way to the door, pressing his ear against it. He heard Dumbledore and someone else, female, talking. He pressed closer and was able to make out more than just a few words. It seemed Dumbledore was conducting an interview of some kind. And it didn't seem to be going very well. After a few more minutes of eavesdropping, he was able to determine that the interview seemed to be for a new Divination Professor, and the poor woman who was interviewing was so nervous she was bombing horribly. Severus was about to get up and leave when he heard something that caused him to stay. 

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..."

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" a gruff voice said, grabbing Severus by the shoulder, pulling him around. Severus turned and saw Aberforth behind him, frowning. Not taking the time to answer, or the chance for Dumbledore to discover him, Severus pushed his way past Aberforth, running down the stairs and out the front door of the Hogs Head. He didn't stop until he was at the apparition point, apparating away back to his home. He slammed open the door, and began pacing. 

That was a prophecy he had just heard. Wasn't it? Yes, it must have been. It had to have been. A prophecy about someone who was to be born who would be the end of The Dark Lord. This was it. This was his ticket to regaining favor with The Dark Lord. He would go there and tell him about the prophecy, and he would be welcomed back into the inner circle. 

Severus froze. The prophecy was about a baby that was to be born this summer. End of July to be exact. Lily was pregnant with a child to be born this summer. When? He ran to get the letter he received that morning. Reading and re-reading. She never said. Just summer. What were the odds that the prophecy was about her child? He thought back to what he and Hermione talked about while she was here. He knew that she and the Potter spawn were on the run from the Dark Lord, but why? Why? Did she say? He couldn't remember. It couldn't be because of this prophecy could it? He cursed himself for not pushing Hermione to tell him more. To tell him everything that he wanted to hear. It would make this decision easier. To tell the Dark Lord what he heard, or to not tell him. 

SSHG

LATE SUMMER 1980

Severus burst into Dumbledore's office, frantic. 

"You have to save them."

"Oh, Severus. How's Tom? I expect that you informed him of what you overheard that night at the Hogs Head."

"I told him what I heard. And now he thinks that it pertains to the Potters, and he's going to kill them all. You need to hide them. Save them. Do something."

"I'm surprised that you care so much, Severus. That a Death Eater such as yourself has come here, to Tom Riddle's greatest enemy, and is begging him for help. And for what? To save your childhood bully and unrequited love?"

Severus growled. "Fuck off, old man. I've never known you to be so callous. Yes, Potter was my bully, and yes, I loved Lily at one point, but not anymore. They are my friends, and they have a baby. And the Dark Lord is going to kill all of them if you don't do something!"

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, glancing at Severus over the rims of his glasses. "I was already planning to help them, Severus. We have a hiding place for the family picked out. Have had one since little Harry was born on the last day of July. I'm just surprised, intrigued, even, that you of all people are here begging me for their lives. Are you having a change of heart, Severus my boy? Do I need to send you into hiding as well?"

Severus shook his head. "I never wanted this, not since..."

"Since you met a young time traveler?" Dumbledore answered.

Severus nodded.

"Then why, my child, did you take the mark?"

"Because she told me I had it in my time."

"And what else did Miss Granger tell you about the future?"

Severus shrugged again. "Nothing. She told me nothing."

Dumbledore locked eyes with Severus, and knowing what the old man was after, Severus never broke eye contact with him, feeding him false memories of his time with Hermione. One in which she refused to tell him anything about the future. He was glad that he had listened to Hermione and learned Occlumency. If he could keep the Dark Lord out of his mind, he could keep anyone from invading.

SSHG

HALLOWEEN 1981

Severus screamed as he felt his left forearm burn. It was late, and the burning woke him from his sleep. He threw back the covers and grabbed his wand from the bedside table.

"Lumos," he muttered.

Holding the wand over his forearm, he nearly dropped it when he saw that where his Dark Mark had once been, it was now gone. "Impossible," he muttered, leaping from bed. He ran to where his robes hung on the back of his door throwing them on as he ran to the door, apparating to Hogsmeade. When he got there, the place was in chaos, people were running through the streets, despite the late hour. Severus looked around, trying to find someone to talk to. To ask what was going on. He stopped a man running through the streets.

"What's going on?" 

The man stopped, out of breath, a grin on his face. "You haven't heard? He's been defeated. The Dark Lord has been defeated. And by an infant no less!"

Severus let go of his grip on the man. "He's gone?"

"Yeah! Used the killing curse on a baby, and it rebounded, killing him instead. Poor lad, that baby. Orphaned. But he will forever be known as the savior of the Wizarding World. Harry Potter!"'

The man took off again down the street, leaving Severus standing in the road, mouth agape. Memories from when he was with Hermione came flooding back to him. The reasons she started spending time with the Marauders. To get to know her best friend's parents whom he grew up without. He should have made the connection quicker. He should have done more to stop The Dark Lord from pursuing the Potters. And now, Lily and James were gone. And it was largely his fault. If he hadn't overheard that fucking prophecy. If he hadn't brought it to the Dark Lord like the fucking lapdog he was. If only...

Severus let out a gutteral scream before apparating back to Spinner's End. He slammed the door closed behind him, and let out another scream. He was cursed. That had to be it. He fell in love only to have her ripped from him, taken back through time. His were shite and then gone. He was just starting to form an actual friendship with Lily and James, and even Sirius was warming up to him, and now they were gone. He was destined to move through his life alone. That was it. Because who knew if Hermione would still want him when she returned back to her time and set eyes on him for the first time as his older self. If she even made it through time the second time. They still never figured out what it...

Severus stopped. What if he were the one to send her through time? What if he was the catalyst? He ran up his stairs taking them two at a time before he ran into his room, throwing open his Hogwarts trunk. He pulled out all of the notes on time travel he and Hermione had compiled during their weeks in the Room of Requirement. He had saved every single one. Not really sure why, but he just knew that he needed to. He ran back down to his lab, and got to work. He had just under 17 years to invent a spell to send Hermione back through time. 

SSHG

MARCH 1998

Severus knew it was coming close to when he would need to send Hermione back in time. The last sixteen years had been pure hell for him. Teaching at Hogwarts. Then teaching her, but not really her. Watching her grow up, made him feel disgusting. He had to remind himself that when they were together, they were both the same age, and she wasn't a student, nor was he her professor. He hoped that if his incantation worked the way it was supposed to, the way he calculated, he would be able to look past the student he had taught the last six years and see the woman he loved. And despite the passage of time, he still loved her, his Hermione. He just needed to get to Malfoy Manor at just the right moment.

Amycus Carrow came bursting into his office. "They have them, at least they think they do?"

Severus adopted his best bored expression, "Who has who now?"

"Malfoy. They have Potter and his friends. They're going to summon the Dark Lord, as soon as they have confirmation."

Severus stood up and stalked to the doors to his office, dismissing Amycus. "Return when you know anything definitive."

Amycus bowed his head, and left the office. Severus didn't hesitate before rushing to his window and apparating out, for if you were Headmaster, you had the ability to do what you pleased on Hogwarts grounds. He found himself outside the gates of the Manor. He disillusioned himself and pushed his way through, rushing to the house as quickly as possible, pushing his way in. It was a good thing he was still in the inner circle of the Dark Lord, one of his only truly trusted servants, or else he wouldn't have been able to make it through all of the wards so easily. He moved through the house, following the cackles of Bellatrix. When he reached the entryway to the drawing room, he stopped short. 

Laying on the floor underneath Bellatrix was Hermione. HIS Hermione. She looked exactly the same as the day he found her on the floor of Hogwarts after she had fallen from the future. He had to take a deep breath to control his emotions as he watched Bellatrix finish carving into her arm while she screamed. The second Bellatrix lifted her knife from Hermione's arm, Severus took aim with his wand, and pointed it at Hermione. And just like he had practiced every day once he was sure he mastered the incantation ten years ago, he very calmly enunciated the words he knew by heart. When he was finished, he watched Hermione closely. And for a second he thought he saw her flicker but he wasn't sure. It wasn't until he saw the light gleam off the ring on her left hand that he knew for sure that it worked.


	26. Chapter 26

He hadn't seen her since he cast the spell. As soon as he realized the spell had worked, Potter and Weasley had rushed into the room and a house elf had whisked them all to safety. It had happened so fast, he didn't have time to react. He quickly left the manor and returned to the school just in time for him to get word of their great escape. Since that day he had heard tales of their exploits. They had broken into and successfully escaped Gringotts, on the back of a dragon no less, and he couldn't help feel immense pride in his girl when he heard that bit of news. After that everything was quiet, until he learned someone set off the alerts in Diagon Alley. Then he knew this was it. Whatever the Trio was doing had brought them back to Hogwarts. He cursed to himself. He had no idea what they were doing, but it couldn't be good and it would only be a matter of time before The Dark Lord was here and they were going to finish this war once and for all. And he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that it wasn't going to end well. Probably because his life had been full of disappointment, and that everyone who he had every loved, or who had said they loved him in return, left him. Permanently. Those odds had him dreading that something wasn't going to go well tonight, and he wouldn't be reunited with Hermione. He had spent the last twenty years waiting and waiting and waiting. And it would be just his luck that he would never get the chance to see her again. Never find out if she could love who he was now. 

Severus swallowed and sank into the chair behind the desk in his office, dropping his head down into his hands.

"What's troubling you, my boy?" he heard from behind him.

He lifted his head and turned around to look at Dumbledore in his portrait. "None of your business, you meddling old man."

"They're in Hogwarts. They found their way through the passageway into the Room of Requirement. It's only a matter of time before Tom finds his way to Hogwarts and this all ends. And then you'll be free."

Severus sighed. "Of course they would be idiotic enough to come into Hogwarts. They couldn't just leave well enough alone. They couldn't just stay away."

"Severus, my boy, I would think this development would make you a bit happier. You will no longer be tied to Voldemort. You could do what you please," Dumbledore paused, giving him a knowing look over the rim of his half moon glasses. "Be with who you want."

Severus shook his head. "I should have known you would know."

"I can judge the timeline. She would be about the age she was when she came to us, which would mean she should already have gone and returned by now. Which means you both need to get through whatever tonight brings, and then you shall be reunited."

Severus closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's not that easy."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Why wouldn't it be? What's troubling you my boy?"

"It's really hard to get my hopes up that tonight will bring great things when everyone who says they love me ultimately lets me down. My mother said she loved me, yet she allowed that monster abuse me. And then she was gone. Ripped from me by that same monster. Lily said she loved me, that I was her best friend. Then she abandoned me when our friendship was inconvenient to her reputation. Hermione said she loved me, and time ripped her away from me. What if she sees me and can't disassociate me from the asshole teacher she grew up with and no longer wants to be with me? What if one or both of us don't survive the night, and we aren't reunited at all?"

"My boy, you can't live with what ifs. If you live by what ifs alone, you wouldn't be able to live a full life. Your life has been hard. And I know that I didn't make it any easier. But, you can't live while assuming only the worst will happen. You need to have hope that something good will come, that something will work out for you. For without hope, what else is there?"

Severus was about to answer Dumbledore when the door to his office flew open, and Filch was standing there, breathing heavily, his mouth twisted into a menacing grin. "Potter is in the castle. What do you want us to do, Headmaster?"

Severus schooled his expression into his much practiced mask. "Have all the children pulled out of their dorms and put into the Great Hall. We'll make Potter show himself."

Filch nodded and rushed on his way, and Severus relaxed. So it begins.

 

Severus paced around the Shrieking Shack. Things had gone pear shaped really quickly and now there was a full out battle on Hogwarts ground. Potter had revealed himself in the Great Hall, and then the next thing he knew he was dueling Minerva before escaping out the window. He was hanging out on the outskirts of the battle, waiting for instruction when Lucius found him and told him The Dark Lord wanted to see him in the Shrieking Shack. And so he went, with a sinking feeling in his stomach. If the Dark Lord was wanting to see him, it couldn't be good. It definitely couldn't be good. 

The Dark Lord swept into the room, Nagini in a floating bubble next to him. Severus's stomach sank. This was definitely not good. And then everything happened so fast. Him being accused of being the true master of the Elder Wand, him denying it. The anger, the tension in the room, the paranoia. And then it happened. Nagini was on him. The sharp pain of fangs ripping into his throat. And he fell to the floor gripping his neck, the pain unbearable. He barely registered when The Dark Lord apparated out of the room. He gasped for breath, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The pain was excrutiating, he tried to apply pressure to the wound, but he felt so weak. 

He heard vaguely heard a scream, but he couldn't be sure. And then his vision was filled with Hermione. Wonderful, beautiful Hermione. 

"Her--" he tried to say, but it hurt too much to say anything. 

"Shh," she said, her voice full of tears. "Don't talk, I need to to try and fix this. I need my bag. Where's my bag?!" she screamed over her shoulder.

"Hermione, what's going on?" he heard Weasley ask.

"I need my bag, it has first aid in it. Potions. I need it."

He watched her wipe tears off her face, and he shook his head. "Potter," he croaked out. 

"Harry," she screamed, "Get over here!"

And then his vision was filled with the spectacled boy, the boy he was sure he would have had a completley different relationship with if his parents had been allowed to live. He concentrated his efforts, and pushed all of the memories he wanted the boy to have, what he needed to defeat Voldemort once and for all. "Take them," he said, gesturing to his eyes. "Take them."

"Hermione, I need a bottle!" Harry shouted over his shoulder. "I need," he was cut off as Hermione shoved a bottle into his hands and he turned back to Severus and caught the memories streaming from his eyes in them. 

Severus looked up at Harry and really looked at him. He may have looked the spitting image of his father, but his eyes. Those eyes were all Lily. "You have her eyes," he managed to croak out. 

Harry looked startled for a minute, but then Hermione was there, her arms full of potions. "Go, Harry, go look at whatever those are."

"Are you going to come?"

"I can't leave him, Harry, I need to help him."

"But Hermione, it's Snape!" Weasley protested. "He killed Dumbledore. I say let him die."

"I need to save him! I need to--" she broke off in a sob. "I love him! Now go! Go look at those memories, and I'll catch up."

Hermione turned back to him, and started pulling corks out of bottles. "Sev, please swallow these. Please."

Severus shook his head. "I love you," he whispered, taking every ounce of energy he had left. 

"No Severus. No. You don't get to leave me, not when I finally get you back. No, please don't leave me," she sobbed over his body. 

Severus tried to answer, but he couldn't really comprehend anything else. His neck hurt, his vision grew fuzzy, and his head felt light. And then he knew nothing.


	27. Chapter 27

Severus came to, slowly. The first thing he noticed was that his neck still hurt, but it wasn't excruciating like it had been what felt like just a few minutes ago. He tried to open his eyes, but his lids felt heavy. It was the pain in his neck and the fact that his head felt like it was filled with cotton that were his first clue that he had not, in fact, died in the snake attack. He had mixed feelings about that. He guessed whether or not he was happy about survival lied with how the battle had turned out. Who won? If Voldemort had won he would just find the nearest cliff and fling himself off of it, because there was no way he was going to live in a world that was ruled by a psychopath. Especially a psychopath who wanted to kill him. No, he would rather be dead then have to live in that reality.

His eyes finally cooperated and he quickly regretted the opening of them as he was blinded by a bright white light. He quickly closed them again, flinching. He was definitely in a hospital of some kind. In the second after he re-closed his eyes, he felt a hand come and cover his. It was soft, and much, much smaller than his.

"Severus?" he heard whispered next to his ear. "Severus, are you awake?"

He would recognize that voice from anywhere. And if she were sitting next to him, then everything must have turned out okay. She was no longer on the run.

"Her-" he tried to say, but his throat was dry and it hurt to speak.

"Shhh," she spoke from beside him. "Don't strain yourself. There was a lot of damage when..." she trailed off. "We don't know the extent of it, but as soon as you're strong enough, we'll know."

He opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the light of the room, and after a few minutes they focused, and Hermione's face filled his vision. And he couldn't help it. It had been twenty years since she was last with him, his Hermione. He started weeping.

"Shhh," Hermione said. "It's okay, I'm here now, I'm here. It's all going to be okay," she said, crying right along with him. "I'm so glad that Harry is a nosey bastard and insisted we come to the Shack to spy on Voldemort. I don't know what I would have done if we hadn't...if we hadn't been there."

Severus mustered up his strength and reached out to take her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. "How long?" he whispered.

"You've been in a coma for about a week," Hermione said. "Harry won, by the way," she said. "I'll fill you in all the details another time. Right now you need to focus on getting better so you can get out of here."

"I've missed you," he croaked out as he stared lovingly at Hermione's face. "You can't even imagine how much I've missed you. I've been so lonely."

"I'm here now. I'm here now," she said. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, you will get so tired of me that you'll long for the days when we were separated by time and space."

Severus shook his head, ignoring the ache in his neck. "Impossible," he said, a smile gracing his lips.

Hermione returned his smile, bending down to press a kiss on his forehead. "I know it's not the same," she said once she pulled back. "But the last couple months have been torture not being able to be near you. Trying to field the boys questions about where the ring came from and why I refused to take it off. I didn't know how to explain it to them. I didn't know if they would get it. And then we found you in the Shack, and you gave Harry those memories, and he viewed them, you really saved me a lot of trouble."

Severus closed his eyes. He had honestly forgotten all about the memories. "I didn't give him anything too scandalous, did I?" he got out, breathing heavily threw it.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Harry was a little vague on the details. Just that he saw the two of us together, studying together. That he saw you and Lily and James together after graduation. You holding baby Harry. Oh, Severus, I can't wait until you're well enough to fill me in on everything that happened after I left."

Severus groaned. "You don't want to know. It was all bloody terrible," he said.

"Well, I for one can't wait for you to get better, if only so we can continue our research to see what sent me back in the first place."

Severus pushed himself up, trying to sit up in the bed, Hermione rushed to help him, putting a pillow behind his back. The longer he was awake, the better he was starting to feel. Whatever they did for him, other than the hoarseness of his voice, he felt good as new. 

"No need for research. It was me. I did it," Severus explained.

Hermione started at him for a minute, mouth agape. "What? But you weren't..."

"I was there. I spent the last twenty years trying to create a spell that would yo-yo you through time. And it worked. As soon as I got word that you had been captured, I rushed to the manor, disillusioned myself, and I cast the spell. I knew the spell worked when you kind of flickered a bit, and then you suddenly had the ring. I wanted to intervene, and get you out of there, but then the House Elf came and then it was chaos. You being here, in my time line, and not being able to see you because of the fucking war, was worse than the twenty years that I had to wait alone."

Hermione shook her head. "I should have guessed it was you. You're the only wizard brilliant enough to come up with something like that. How did you know that it would work?"

Severus shrugged. "I still remembered you with me for seventh year. I figured as long as I had the memory of you, in my time, it had to work."

Hermione laughed. "Of course."

Severus brought his hand to cup her face. "You're as beautiful as the day you left."

She blushed, casting her gaze down. "You're even more handsome than when I left you."

Severus shook his head. "I'm an old man."

"Hardly," Hermione said. "You're still young by wizarding standards."

"You'll still want to be with me? Even though I'm ancient and you're still so young? The age difference doesn't bother you?"

Hermione leaned forward, cupping Severus's face with her hands. "I love you. Whether you're eighteen or thirty eight. You're still you."

"I've done terrible things, Hermione. Terrible terrible things," he whispered, his voice cracking through the emotions.

"And I can forgive you those terrible things," she whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"I'm sorry," Severus said.

"For what?" Hermione asked, confused.

"For everything I did in our time to push us apart. You were right. About everything. I was power hungry, and everything you warned me about, him, was true. I should have listened to you, maybe, maybe Lily," he trailed off.

Hermione reached up and wiped the tears from under his eyes. "Oh, Sev. If you hadn't been there, someone else would have, and everything still would have turned out the same. Remember? Time is a loop?"

Severus nodded.

"Now," Hermione said, sitting back. "You need to rest. You'll never be released from here if you're not one hundred percent. And I'm tired of sleeping in that bloody chair. We need to go home."

"Home," Severus whispered. "Where will that be?"

Hermione took his hand in hers, bringing it up to her lips, placing a kiss on it. "Wherever we can be together."

Severus gazed at the woman he loved, perched there on his hospital bed, looking into her eyes for the first time in twenty years, and he knew that he had been able to keep his promise that he made all those years ago in the Room of Requirement. His feelings hadn't changed at all. He still loved her just as much as when he placed that ring on her finger. And now that they were together for the first time in what felt like eternity, Severus felt something he hadn't felt in years. True happiness. And he knew that from this moment forward, things would be different. For the first time in his life, he had hope.


	28. Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

Severus tried to tie his cravat, but was getting flustered while he tried to get it straight. Even though he didn't need to dress in his full robes, he still wore a cravat every day, because while Hermione and healers did a great job at patching him up, he still had a horrific scar on his neck where Nagini took a bite out of him.

Severus sighed in frustration, and threw his cravat across the room just as Hermione was walking into it.

"You need to relax," she said, coming over and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I can't relax," Severus said. "Can't we just stay home?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, we can't."

"Can you just go by yourself?"

Hermione chuckled. "No, I can't. And you can blame yourself for sharing your memories with Harry during the final battle for why you need to be there."

Severus sighed and sat down on the bed. "Fucking Potter, still making my life miserable from the grave. And now Potter Junior has latched onto me like a leech."

"You enjoy it, and you know it," Hermione said with a laugh. "And today won't be that bad. You just need to stand up in front of a room full of mostly Weasleys. It'll be over before you know it. Just be glad he and Ginny opted for a small, intimate wedding rather than one befitting of the Saviour of the Wizarding World."

"I still don't understand how out of all of the people in his life, why he chose me to stand up with him," Severus said, standing up to retrieve his cravat from where he had chucked it. 

"Because you're one of the last ties he has to his parents. I think he's starting to see you as a father figure."

Severus groaned as he tied the cravat around his neck. "Which in and of itself is troubling."

"Why?"

"Being the father figure to the boy my wife considers a brother? Not the most appealing thought."

Hermione laughed. "It's not that bad. You're enjoying being looked at like the hero for once, and not the villain."

Severus shrugged, smirking. She wasn't wrong there. The last year had actually seemed a bit surreal. After a lifetime of being made to feel less than, as the villain, as the gum on someone's shoe, he spent the last year being greeted with accolades. Potter had not been silent when yelling his innocence from the rooftops. The role he played as spy was announced in every paper. He was exonerated of any wrong doing in the death of Dumbledore. The only thing that took a while was to explain to everyone his and Hermione's relationship. It was a lot of late nights in Grimmauld Place explaining time travel and that they had fallen in love when they were both teens, and that he hadn't abused his position of power and seduced a student. Giving Harry whatever memories he had given him had helped with that meeting with the board of governors.

In the past year he also stepped down from Hogwarts. He had no interest in staying on in any capacity. He and Hermione started a potions business together,and were doing really well brewing special requests, and quickly becoming one of the top apothecaries in Diagon Alley. He and Hermione also married shortly after he was released from St. Mungo's. Rather than having a big to do, they had a small ceremony with just Potter and Weasley as witnesses. It was perfect.

"You're right," Severus said. "I do enjoy being the hero. It's nice to not have to hide in the shadows and maintain my mask for the world anymore."

"Well, I'm glad, too. It's nice to be with you and not have to worry about hexes being thrown at us."

"Especially now," Severus said, walking over, and placing a hand at her barely swelling belly.

Hermione placed her hand on top of his. "Yes, it would certainly be inconvenient now."

Severus looked down at his wife, who was smiling her radiant smile, her eyes filled with love for him, her belly swelling with his unborn child, and he couldn't remember a time when his heart felt so full. And even though his life up until this point had been a living hell, he would not change one millisecond. For if he changed anything, he may not have encountered and married the girl who had fallen from the future. And he would not give her up if his life depended on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it, we've come to the end! Thank you everyone who took the time to read the story. To everyone who has stuck with me through the last couple years as I pushed through getting this written. And special thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review. I love you all. 
> 
> I'm still going to be finishing my Supernatural/Harry Potter crossover, and in the next couple months I'll be posting my newest story, which is an Iron Man/Harry Potter crossover, but I won't post that until I have it complete. In the mean time, I'll be brainstorming a new Severus/Hermione story, so stay tuned!
> 
> Thank you again, and please leave a review!


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